Wide awake
by NickiM12
Summary: She's living the perfect life. Except for one unfortunate detail. It's not her life to live. Nick/Miley.
1. Prologue

**An-**_New Story! Don't Kill Me! It's been plaguing my mind for weeks and I couldn't delay letting it out anymore, my muse simply would not let me. Kind of different from my other fics but enjoy nonetheless!_

**Prologue: Wide Awake**

'_Yeah I was in the dark, I was falling hard, with an open heart….' _

Miley Stewart stared at her reflection transfixed and utterly taken aback. Her brunette hair was perfectly pinned on top of her head, save for the few curls that cascaded down her face making those blue eyes of hers stand out. Sun-kissed skin glowed underneath the light coming in from the elegant glass window. She was a vision in white right from the white form-fitting gown she wore to the white veil she held plastered over her head to her flawless makeup. She was the perfect bride. Just not _the _bride.

A knock sounded on the door, pulling her away from her thoughts and she eagerly tore the door open, needing a distraction. She couldn't help the smile that crossed her face as she met the big blue eyes waiting for her on the other side.

"Hey you." She whispered, tightly hugging the young child to her chest as she ran into her arms.

Long curly brown hair, big blue eyes, and a smile that could light up any dark place in the world; Charlotte Anne Grey is a sight for sore eyes. She had never fallen so hard for a three year old before in her life.

"Beautiful, mommy." She whispers in awe, her small chubby fingers lifting to cup her face.

"Yeah? Same could be said for you sweetheart."

"It's the poof!" Charlotte smiles, pointing to her flower girl dress that seems to have taken a life of it's own. Miley laughs at the sight.

"I knew we should've settled for something smaller but that girl has one hell of a stubborn streak." Pipes in Denise from her spot at the doorway, her eyes instantly start to water as she catches sight of the young woman she has rapidly grown to love these last couple of days

"Like father like daughter." Miley teases.

"And you're marrying into that again. It's not too late to back out you know? I would completely understand." Denise kids. " You look absolutely breathtaking."

"Thank you." Miley blushes, fiddling with her necklace. The one thing reminding her that all of this luxury did not belong to her and could be taken away from her within any moment.

"No, thank you." Denise murmurs.

"Denise."

Denise lays a hand up to stop her. "No. I must. I know our relationship had not always been on the best of terms but I sincerely appreciate all you have done for not just my son, but for this family especially considering the sour direction we were heading. I could only wish I was supportive of the love you and Nick share from the beginning. I have never seen him happier as he is with you these last couple of months and that is exactly why I want to give you this."

"Denise." Miley chokes up, feeling a wave of emotions stir up within her.

"Go on." Denise encourages. "Open it."

Miley's skilled fingers carefully unwrap the neatly wrapped package that had fallen into her hands. Her heart stills for a moment as she catches sight of the glamorous piece of jewelry within her reach. She eyes her mother in law in complete disbelief.

"Think of it as your something old." Denise smiles. "I know your already part of the family, but this seemed like the perfect way to make up for the last couple of years. "

Miley shakes her head wildly. " I can't possibly-"

"Save it. " Denise intervenes. "There's no one else I would want to wear this other than you. "

Miley shakes her head, completely touched. This necklace, as simple as it was represented so much within the family as it was passed down from generation to generation from Nick's ancestors to Nick's great grandparents to Nick's mother and now her. She could feel that familiar churn in her stomach awaken within her.

"Thank you." Miley whispers.

"Nonsense." Denise mutters with a flick of her hand. "You deserve it."

"Mommy, do we walk down now? I can't wait any longer." Charlotte asks impatiently, making Miley and Denise burst into laughter.

She had been jumping up and down for this the moment her parents had told her they were renewing their vows. She absolutely adored her parents and weddings.

"No waiting ahead, Char." Demi announces, remaining true to her wedding planner/ personal assistant duties. "It's time."

Charlotte's eyes beam as she eagerly grasps her bouquet of flowers. " C'mon mommy."

"I'll be out in a minute, baby."

"Promise?" Char asks, her bright blue eyes melting in Miley's blue eyes.

"I promise." Miley utters, the promise must have appeared convincing smiles before stepping away from her mother and climbing into her grandmother's arms.

"Okay. Let's go gramma, You heard Dem, my kingdom awaits!"

Denise shakes her head in amusement, giving the bride one last squeeze before stepping out of the room.

Demi whirls around to face Miley with a genuine smile.

"You truly do look beautiful, Miley. This is exactly how she would have wanted to look like on her wedding day."

"Her wedding day, not mine." Miley mumbles, feeling as if all air had been taken from her. Everything was all wrong. She wouldn't have wanted her wedding so traditional, she would have wanted something out of the norm. She wouldn't have wanted to get married in a big hall with many witnesses in a church. She would have wanted to get married at the beach, with a couple people, just family and friends and her natural brown waves cascading down her back, her natural blue eyes shining with warmth, affection, excitement and love.

And she definitely wouldn't be rocking this stupid tiara.

Demi places a supportive hand on her shoulder as she watches the woman she has quickly befriended battle a wave of emotions.

"You don't have to go through with this, Miley. You can put a stop to this. You can make things right."

"I'm already in too deep, Dem. They would never understand. Nick would never understand. I can't break his heart. I can't break Charlotte's. I love them, Dem." She cries because it's true, she does love them, love them more than anything she had ever loved before in her life.

"I know you do, Mi." Demi says, drawing her friend into a hug. The only person who knows the real _her_. _"_But you can't honestly think of going through with this. This is all one big lie. This is all fake. You have to tell him."

"I can't." Miley cries. " He'll hate me. _They'll _hate me. "

"Miley.."

"Demi, please." Miley pleads. " I can't lose them."

Demi sighs. " The truth always finds a way to come out, Mi. I know you love them but this isn't your life to live and soon the lies will catch up with you. Don't make things any harder than they have to be. Save yourself before it's too late."

With those final words, Demi leaves leaving Miley alone with her thoughts once again. Her eyes fall upon the photograph that manages to haunt her dreams every night. There she stood, the woman who truly lived this life, the woman whom every one believed was the person getting remarried again. The person she was impersonating.

It's like looking into a mirror. They were so _identical. _Same long brown hair, same blue eyes, it was enough to make her question whether she had a long lost twin out there that she hadn't even been aware of. Everything was so similar from top to bottom. Save for those eyes and that smile. Her eyes were so dull, so lifeless, so cold, completely detached from the rest of the world and her smile was malicious, cunning, manipulative.

_Hannah Sophia Grey._

A huge part of her envied this woman immensely. She had it all, the fame, the money, the luxuries of life she could never be able to afford but most importantly, a family who supported her, a husband who is completely smitten with her, would do anything for her and a daughter who admired her, loved her, worshipped the very ground she walked on.

The other part of her felt tremendous amounts of guilt begin to kick in. This was wrong. This was sick but she had no choice. There was no backing out now.

"I'm sorry." She whispers dejectedly before briskly opening the door and walking towards the doors of the church. She nodded at Demi and the music began, she watched Charlotte practically skip down the aisle looking perfect as ever, next she watched her bridesmaids make their way down the aisle and finally it came her turn.

She watched the crowd rise in anticipation and the gasps surround the room yet none of it mattered. All noise blurred out as she caught sight of the man she had managed to hopelessly fall for. Her fake husband.

He looked striking in his black tux and she fought a laugh as her eyes fell upon his wild black curls that stuck up in every direction. She could feel her heart pounding as she makes her way towards him, closer and closer until finally they reached one another.

"Beautiful." He breathes, smiling at her as if he were the luckiest man on the planet and she flashes him a watery smile, squeezing his hand tightly in hers. She hates what she's doing to him. She hates that she's lying to him. He doesn't deserve this. He doesn't deserve _her _either.

The ceremony begins and she finds her focus being pulled away from it. Her thoughts center around him and her, their relationship and Charlotte. She thinks of the memories they have managed to establish together, all three of them and their future, the memories they will be able to make every single day of their life from this point forward if she goes through with this which encourages her to stay, encourages her that things will work out and makes her stay rooted to her spot, ready to officially become Hannah.

And then she listens to his vows, sincere, heartfelt, captivating and filled with such love, passion and adoration that she can't help the tears that fall from her eyes nor does she want to. He loves her, he _truly _loves her . Except he doesn't.

He doesn't love her.

He loves Hannah. He's in love with Hannah, and she feels her heart break into tiny little pieces as he mentions their history, their meeting and how she has managed to change his life for the better, how he could never imagine a life without her.

She was wrong, she can't go through with this. She can't do this to him. She can't live this lie any longer. Nick deserves better, Charlotte deserves better. She doesn't belong here.

"Do you, Hannah Sophia Grey take Nicholas Mathew Grey as your husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health and promise to cherish him for the rest of your life?" The priest asks and she closes her eyes, mentally preparing herself for what's coming next.

"I don't." She breathes, and the room goes silent.

"Hannah?" Nick asks confused, his troubled eyes looking at her confused.

Miley shakes her head. " I can't do this. I'm not who you think I am."

"What are you talking about? "

"I'm not her."

"Mommy? " Charlotte pipes up confusedly. "What's going on?"

"Forgive me." She pleads, placing a loving kiss on the child's forehead and with one last lingering look at Nick; she speeds down the aisle doing the perfect impersonation of a runaway bride.

_TO BE CONTINUED…._

**An- **Cliffhanger ending. I hope you all have become intrigued by this fic. It's different and it was really difficult for me not to give anything away but I'm glad I managed to get things down. This is one of those fics that begin from the present and answer questions within each chapter that will be focused on the past leading up to this particular day. Click on the review button if you wish for me to continue.

Sincerely,

_Nicki M. _


	2. Chapter 1: Who am I Living For?

**AN-**So I'm just really overwhelmed and blown away by the encouraging and supporting responses towards this story. I was very hesitant to write it seeing as it is completely unlike anything I have ever written before and not many are able to pull it off. However, I hope that this chapter continues to grasp your attention and that your faith in it does not waver. _Please Review, _it encourages me to go further with this story.

**Chapter 1: Who am I Living For? **

'_I can feel a phoenix inside of me, As I march alone to a different beat….'_

"Nick…" Joe murmured, placing a sympathetic hand on his brother's shoulder yet Nick remained completely still.

He didn't dare make a sound, didn't dare speak, and didn't even acknowledge Joe's presence. He remained knelt on the church steps, his face in his hands, humiliated, embarrassed, distraught, torn, heart broken, there were absolutely no exact words to define the swirl of emotions he currently was witnessing. His voice held no emotion as he spoke, and it was a tone he never thought he would ever have to use again, a tone he had thought had become a part of his past.

"Charlotte?"

"Mom's got her." Kevin responds, biting his lip as he always did whenever he was forced to approach an unlikely and stressful situation. Charlotte had broken down in tears after the departure of her mother, frantic and confused. Nick, harboring his own broken heart and other emotions that were too many to identify fell to the floor in a unresponsive mess as the crowd gasped, whispered and began to come up with their own suspicions as to why the bride had ran out the church doors and refused to continue the ceremony.

It had been a hassle getting everyone to clear out of the church and as he looked over towards his brother again, his knuckles clenched as he caught sight of the evident hurt and pain his brother is feeling; he can't help but feel a bitter feeling of hatred for his sister in law, a feeling he hadn't thought he would feel towards her ever again.

Nick nods, frantically running a hand through his thick head of curls.

"And Hannah?" he asks hopefully, lifting his head to reveal the tears that threatened to spill from his chocolate brown eyes.

Joe remorsefully shakes his head and Nick's shoulders sag in defeat. She had left him standing at the altar, in front of a whole crowd of witnesses and he had no idea why.

_I'm not who you think I am. _

Her words haunted him, taunted him, ran through his mind like a merry go round and yet he couldn't bring himself to understand what she meant. He knows her, inside and out, and these last couple of months has managed to get him to discover more about her, accept the parts of her that she was willing to share with him; parts of her that made him fall in love with her again; he was absolutely sure she felt the same way.

"Where did we go wrong?" He contemplates, running a tired hand over his face as he feels a knife sharply run through his heart, slicing his heart in two. " I never thought I could feel this way again, not for her, not after everything."

"Old habits die hard." Kevin murmurs darkly, making Nick whirl his head sharply in his direction. Kevin hesitantly lifts his hand in surrender. "I'm sorry Nick, but this is Hannah we're talking about. As much as we'd like to believe otherwise after the last couple of months, Hannah's all about games. She always has been."

"She changed. We all saw her." Joe argues,

"Did she really? Or was it all a farce? Pretend? We all know what Hannah is capable of. That woman doesn't care about anyone but herself and her own personal interests."

"She's different. " Nick intervenes, shooting his oldest brother a glare. He refused to believe it, he refused to believe that his wife had resorted back to her cruel and manipulative ways, that this could be some sick and calculated ploy. It was something about her eyes this time around, something about her within the ceremony that seemed genuine, terrified, _sad._

_Forgive me.._

She looked as if it took every ounce of will power to do what she had done and as if her heart was breaking in pieces right before she had chosen to leave them all behind and not continue through with the ceremony.

He wants to find her. He wants to determine what went wrong. He wants answers to the questions that are running through his mind. He wonders if he'll ever stop feeling this way, this hurt, this pain, _and this shame_.

Nick back is pulled away from the alternate reality within his head and into reality as Demi approaches him , flashing him a sympathetic smile. She doesn't ask any questions, or prod him with information, which he is thankful for but rather hands him a tray, which in the middle, consists of a letter.

"I found this in her room." She says softly, and he eyes it peculiarly, afraid of what it might contain, afraid of what it may reveal. He has a bad feeling prickling at the back of his neck. It's written in _her _handwriting.

He shares a hesitant look with his brothers before tearing the letter open, and carefully skimming over the contents, hanging on to her every word. In seconds, he could feel his emotions indulge in a rollercoaster once again and as he nears the end, and reads her confession, he feels a build up of betrayal, pain and a sense of stupidity for himself that has been blinded by rage. He couldn't believe it, refused to believe it but as he begun to contemplate it all in his head, he begun to discover the truth, begun to wonder how he hadn't seen it, recognized the differences; he had been such a fool, such an idiot.

He briskly crumples the paper and throws it to the unknown before storming out of the church, ignoring the calls and cries of his brothers.

Joe and Kevin remain still, completely stumped.

"What do you think it said?" Joe asks, wondering what could have possibly been said within that letter to have his little brother behave in such an uncharacteristic fashion.

"The truth." Demi answers after a cloud of silence had enveloped the room and wondering if the love and intimacy of the two friends she loved will ever be able to survive.

* * *

_Past -One year ago…._

Miley sighed in relief as the clock struck midnight indicating that her shift was now over. She hastily cleaned her surroundings and pulled down the blinds eager to ditch the provocative clothes she was forced to wear to work and slip into the warm comfort of her own bed for a few hours before she was obligated to rise again. Working at a bar wasn't exactly the future she mapped out for herself but here she was, mixing drinks, fending off drunken men and earning bad tips that would not get her out of this filthy place anytime soon.

She inhaled, needing a moment to herself as her eyes automatically wandered over to the photographed picture she had hidden behind the cash register; the reason as to why she put up with this awful job, awful shifts and awful life; the only existent thing she had left.

"Soon." Miley whispered, her naked fingers dancing over the photograph as tears sprung to her eyes. "I'm almost there."

"Hopefully my proposition could make it even sooner." A voice drawls and Miley bites her lip, irritation instantly settling in within her. She had thought she had successfully locked the doors but apparently not.

"We're closed." She barks, evidently not in the mood.

"I'm not here for a taste of your cheap wine if that's what your wondering." The voice responds, approaching the bar. "Like I said, I have a proposition, one that I don't think you would want to pass up."

"Not interested." Miley retorts, lifting her head to kick the intruder out of the bar. She freezes automatically, disbelief clouding the frustration in her eyes. "Wha..?"

"Shocking, isn't it?" The woman drawls, her brunette hair pinned back into an elegant bun as her blue eyes glint with amusement. "It's like looking into a mirror, believe me I was thrown off a loop by you too the first time I saw you. Miley right? "

Miley blinks, hoping the moment she reopens her eyes the figure would be gone but as her eyes reopened she was still there, smirk in place as if taunting her looking every bit as identical to herself. "How? How is this possible?"

"Long lost twin? Distant family member, I haven't quite figured it out yet. What I do know is _this_."She mentions referring to herself and Miley. "Can be useful."

Miley shakes her head. "I don't have time for this. Whatever you want to do with this new discovery, do as you please but leave me out of it. It's time for you to leave."

"I know about Noah, Miley." The intruder announces, halting Miley's steps.

"You leave her out of this."

"17 & Hospitalized. Diagnosed with Leukemia since the age of 12." She flicks her brunette tresses behind her shoulder, crossing one slender leg over the other. " Forcing you to drop out of university, put your dreams on hold and slave away at this bar in order to pay for medical treatment since your parents died in that tragic car accident when she was 9."

"Stop." Miley whispers, feeling pain rush through her as she's once again reminded of that night, reminded of what she had given up, reminded of the responsibilities and the life she now dealt. "Why are you doing this?"

"To help of course." She laughs, eyeing Miley peculiarly. "I pursued you to offer you a proposition, one of which will be able to give you the funds you require to give your sister the best treatment possible and a start to a new life."

"What's the catch?" Miley stubbornly asks, it all sounded too good to be true.

"No catch. I'll give monthly payments for the best chemotherapy and medical treatment within the state so long as you take my identity."

"What?" Miley chokes, surely she couldn't have heard right, _right?_

She rolls her eyes, quickly becoming interested in order for her plans to be set in motion. "I need you to pretend to be me, take over my identity, take over my life, no further elaboration necessary_. _Just for a little while."

"Are you a felon? Escaped Convict?"

"Do I look like someone who just broke out of jail?" She murmurs, her patience quickly running out. Miley eyes her instantly feeling a prickle of shame swirl within her as she eyes the woman standing in front of her, identical to herself, looking as if she had walked straight out of a magazine; definitely not an escaped convict or felon.

"What's in it for you?"

"Freedom." She murmurs, it's all she's ever wanted and she'll spend the rest of her life working hard for it until she gets it. " So, are you in or out?"

Miley bites her lip, considering the offer for a moment, could she really consider pulling this off. "Cash needs to be upfront."

She grins, pulling out a black leather briefcase. "Already ahead of you."

Miley raises her eyebrow, eyes wide as the briefcase is opened to reveal racks of money neatly stacked, calling out to her and prompting her to go along with this whole monstrosity.

"I'm in." Miley murmurs, not knowing that she would gain more than she had bargained for and enter a world where her wildest dreams would become a reality only to be ripped away from the truth.

"Perfect." Hannah purrs in satisfaction, extending a hand. "Say goodbye to Miley Stewart, Miley and accept your new identity, Hannah Sophia Grey."

Everything was going according to plan.

* * *

_Present- _

"This isn't what we agreed on! You've ruined everything!" Hannah shouts visibly shaking, as usual her hair neatly placed into an elegant bun as her eyes regards the woman in front of her with distaste and repulsion.

"He doesn't deserve this, the lies, the deceit. He deserves much better then this, he deserves much better than you." Miley spat back bitterly, how Nick could have fallen for this woman was beyond her.

Hannah laughs darkly, her nails drumming against the table. "And whom does he deserve? You? Evidently not. You've spent a year pretending you were the beholder of his heart, lying to him, deceiving him, manipulating both him and Charlotte for money; it puts you in the same boat as me, if so worse. You were worthless and I made you valuable. I thought him falling for you could be viewed as an advantage, I didn't expect you to love him back!"

Miley shakes her head, her wild brunette hair dancing in the air. "I'm done, Hannah. Play all the games you want but I won't be your accomplice any longer."

"You do realize what your doing don't you? What your turning your back on?" Hannah taunts, and Miley pauses biting her lip.

Slowly, she nods. "Goodbye, Hannah."

The door slams closed and Hannah shrieks, tearing things in sight. This could not be happening, she had been _so _close.

Her phone rings and she answers it quickly, already aware of the recipient on the other end.

"Has the matter been taken care of?"

"Yes." She lies. " Consider it done."

It was time for Plan B.

* * *

**An-**Cliffhanger ending again. I know the story is difficult to comprehend at the moment as I still have not revealed all the pieces within this puzzle yet but it will all be revealed in due time. I hope that your interest in this story is still intact. Please review, review, review, in order for me to write the next chapter as quick as possible. The quicker you review, the quicker the story unfolds.


	3. Chapter 2: The Scientist

**AN-**Once again I want to thank you guys for the continuous support, you have no idea how much it means to me every time I see a review confirming that you guys are following this story and more so expressing your support for it to continue. This chapter is more of a flashback episode, with as usual a little snippet of the present. If you guys have any questions, or would like to see something in particular feel free to tell me about it and I will do my best to answer or include it within the story.

* * *

**Chapter 2: **_The Scientist_

'_Nobody said it was easy, No one ever said it would be this hard… Oh take me back to the start…' _

_-Past _

"You're leaving me?" Noah whispers dejectedly, her wide blue eyes weakly moving upwards to meet her sisters as she slowly musters up all the energy she can to sit into a sitting position.

Miley bites her lip, willing herself not to get too emotional, although finding it very difficult. She had never been apart from Noah for more then a couple hours ever since, well _that day_ that still haunted her every being. Swallowing thickly, her hands instantly grasp Noah's pale, shaky hands in hers.

"Only for a little while."

"Why?"

"To help you." Miley admits, her fingers tracing the purple patches on Noah's skin, reminding her yet again of what she must do.

Noah exhales a shaky breath. "This isn't enough is it? I'm going to die."

"No, you aren't." Miley responds adamantly, the notion itself causing her to become upset as she violently withdraws her hand from her little sisters.

"Miley…" Noah murmurs and Miley shakes her head aggressively, feeling her eyes water.

"I don't want you saying stuff like that, okay?" She demands, seeing the younger brunette nod although clearly unconvinced. "We made it this far and we're only going to make it further. I'm not going to lose you. I'm not." _Your all I have left._

"How long are you gone?" Noah asks, fighting the constant pounding within her head.

"I'll be back soon." Miley murmurs, knowing all too well that the time length of her departure is still undetermined.

Noah nods weakly, the track of her thoughts suddenly becoming exposed to the world as a lone tear makes its way down her colorless cheeks.

"Hey." Miley murmurs, softly wiping away her tears. "Your not losing me, I promise. Not now, not ever and you can count on that. I'll be writing you and bothering you with phone calls every day and every night."

"Promise?" Noah questions quietly, feeling a rush of fatigue fall upon her.

Placing a tender kiss on Noah's forehead, Miley nods. " I promise. Your stuck with me, kid."

"Will you lay with me?" Noah inquires, wanting nothing but the only constant in her life at her side before they were separated and she was left alone to endure the ongoing white walls she was forced to reside in.

"I wouldn't dream of anything else." Miley verbalizes, a soft smile gracing her face as she makes her way onto the small bed and wraps her arms around her fragile sister; her smile only widens as Noah delicately places her head on the crook of her older sister's neck; she couldn't recall the last time they had layed down like this, the two of them against the world as it has been since as long as she could remember.

"I love you." Noah murmurs drowsily, flashing her sister a sad smile before slowly succumbing to slumber.

Miley fights a sob, her subconscious being approached with flashing memories of her and Noah from the moment she had been conceived to this point where they parted ways, where she left her ill younger sister to fend for herself on a hospital bed.

_This is for us, _she silently reminds herself, squeezing her sister's hand. When she's sure the younger version of herself has escaped into an alternate reality located only within her dreams, she slowly untangles herself from her and rises, having not known that it would be so hard, so vexing to walk away.

"I love you too." Miley breathes, her cheeks becoming pink with emotion. "I'll see you soon." She murmurs, as she walks out the door and into the new life that awaits her.

/

Miley exhales, at loss for words as the black stretch limo that currently enveloped her comes to a stop. She felt as if she couldn't breathe, felt as if her chest was on fire and her lungs were momentarily failing her. _They were here. _

It was almost ludicrous to think about, sickening. Two days ago she had been slaving away behind a bar, blending drinks and enchanting drunken men with her beauty and fiery wit and now here she sat in a sleek black stretch limo she would have never been able to afford prior this proposition, ready to take on a whole new adjustment, a whole new other world, a whole new identity.

Could she really do this? Could she really pull this off?

"Enough." Hannah commands, darkly looking at the woman close to hyperventilating in front of her. "Don't be overcome by your doubts, you will succeed."

"Forgive me if I'm a little nervous. I'm responsible for another being's life, no big deal or anything." Miley responds sarcastically, fidgeting at the tightness of her dress. How the hell could this woman _breathe_ on a day-to-day basis? She already longed for her band tees, skinnies and chuck taylors.

With a roll of her eyes, Hannah takes out a black journal. "Everything you need to know is contained in this journal, _don't _lose it. You already know the essentials but if you ever forget or are in need of discussing an important memory so as to not blow your cover this is your savior. I suggest you memorize each and every bit of it."

Miley nods, her fingers brushing against the black material before shoving it into her new Chanel diamond bag.

"How?" Hannah eyes knit together in confusion, and Miley elaborates. "How are you so sure I can pull this off? How are you so trusting I won't fail?"

Hannah narrows her eyes as if taking a moment to process the question, despite the fact that she already knows the answer. "Love makes us do crazy things, Miley. The love you share for your sister makes me sure that you'll do everything in your power to ensure that this agreement goes on without any complications."

Miley purses her lips, tightly grasping her necklace before opening the door, letting her mile long legs adorning heels hit the concrete.

"Miley." Hannah calls out, something akin to pain swirling in her eyes making Miley whirl around confused. "Take care of her."

Miley nods, silently vowing to do just as instructed. It was obvious whom she was referring to.

"I'll be watching." She reprimands with finality, and with a snap of her fingers instructs the driver to drive the limo towards her desired destination.

Miley stares ahead, mouth agape as she eyes the location she was required to live in for the next couple days, weeks, possibly even months. She had come up with the conclusion that Hannah lived a life rather extravagant yet she hadn't had the faintest clue that that it would be this extravagant.

Her house is absolutely beautiful, Infact she isn't sure if perfect is the ideal word to describe such a beauty. The gorgeous waterfront property has her completely spell bound as she spots the large garden surrounding the household, the terrace overlooking the bay and a trail leading towards the grain of sand where a wide beach was located. It was the dream house, much preferable to the lanky one bedroom apartment she lived in back home; suddenly she wasn't so uncomfortable at the idea of obtaining this new life.

"Mrs Grey?" A uniformed man greets her, pulling her away from her thoughts as he tips his hat in her direction. "Your bags?"

"Uh, yes thank you… Mason." She breathes; squinting as her eyes catch sight of his name boldly imprinted on his uniform before flashing him a warm smile.

Mason regards her confusedly for a moment, before nodding and opening the door for her.

Miley sucks in a breath, every footstep made within the household only compelling her to become even more engrossed with the house. It was so nicely decorated to the point where she feared if she were to even touch any of the exquisite European styled furniture she might break it especially considering how clumsy and uncoordinated she is; it was a miracle she hadn't fallen yet with these ridiculously long heels.

Further inspecting the house, she comes across a large portrait of the woman she was impersonating, the woman that had offered her this life momentarily and handed her an open door to the luxuries of life she had always wanted yet never seemed to be able to pursue. Her blue eyes cold as steel stared back at her, her usual smirk adorning her face as her hair was pinned backwards in her trademark bun. Miley fought a shiver, feeling as if the woman herself was indeed standing right in front of her, watching her every movement. She cowered back in fear, bumping into a brunette-haired figure along the process.

"Oh!" She gasped, cursing herself in her head as she helped the woman opposite her rise. "I'm so sorry I should have paid closer attention."

"No need to apologize." The woman shook her head, looking at Miley peculiarly for a quick second. "It was my fault. I should have notified you of my presence. Welcome back, Mrs. Grey. I hear it was an excellent trip."

"Life changing I can tell you that." Miley murmured, smirking at the thought. "Definitely a trip to remember."

"I've always longed to go to Paris." The woman responded somewhat in a daze before quickly coming back to the present as if remembering whom she was speaking to. With a clear of the throat, she continued. "Would you like me to start informing you of your specific tasks for the day?"

"Tasks?" Miley questioned. "What tasks?" _I didn't sign up for any tasks. _

"For the event being held tonight, of course. "

"Event?"

"Yes, Nick, I mean, Mr. Grey.. " The woman corrected herself, knowing how much it perturbed Hannah when she or her husband were referred to by their first name instead of their last; it was unprofessional. "Has decided to throw an event in order to celebrate your safe arrival. I was told he had already told you of this event last night?"

"Right. Yes, he did. I must've forgot." Miley laughed nervously.

"It's okay, I would be a little forgetful too if I had just come back from Paris. Lucky for you, I'm here to help in anyway that I can, first and foremost by assuring that the event goes by as successfully as planned since Mr. Grey's potential clients will also be present."

Miley nodded, the identity of the woman in front of her now registering within her brain. _Demi_, the personal assistant.

"Thanks Demi. I appreciate your help. " Miley spoke, gently squeezing Demi's hand.

"I uh, thank you. Just doing my job." Demi answered, trying to contain the surprise within her voice. Something Miley had definitely caught.

Demi continued to ramble, further elaborating on the duties Miley had to perform causing Miley to stand awkwardly before her, clearly overwhelmed. Although not life changing or anything, she hadn't thought Hannah had to deal with much except for looking flawless every second of every day; clearly she was wrong.

Demi, catching sight of Miley's look stops. "I'm sorry, I wouldn't want to be ambushed with all of this either on my first day back but he insisted."

Miley nods apprehensively. "And uh, is he here?"

Demi shook her head. "Not at the moment, but rest assured he will be here before the event starts."

Miley exhales a breath she hadn't even been aware she was holding. It was safe to say she was relieved, as much as she knew she was expected to see him at some point, she didn't feel as if she was quite prepared. What if he saw right through her? A husband should be able to identify his own wife, right? Even if they did look completely identical.

Her feet begun moving on their own and it is then that Miley was aware that she had blanked out as Demi once again had picked up on speaking, mumbling something around the other that she should have been paying attention to.

They stopped however in front of a room, to which Demi backed up a bit, which made it obvious to Miley whom the room belonged to. _Her. _Hannah. _Hannah and her husband. _

"And this is the part where I leave you." Demi stated, she had been on the other side of Hannah's spiels whenever her privacy was disrupted and she wasn't keen on witnessing that again any time soon.

"No." Miley murmured quickly before straightening up as Demi eyed her in confusion. "I mean umm, you still have to show me the dress I'm supposed to wear right? With my forgetful nature right now, I might not even be able to spot it."

"As you wish" Demi responded to which, Miley opened the door, the room being as expected yet somehow still rendering her amazed. It captured every bit of Hannah's elegance and beauty. What she hadn't expected to see however was the young brunette in the middle of the room, wearing a dress that seemed to be at least 10 sizes too big.

Miley shared an amused glance with Demi before crossing the room towards the young girl who continued to prance around, unaware of her presence.

"I think that dress is a little too big for you, don't you think?"

"Mommy!" She whirled around, her big blue eyes sparkling. "Your home!"

"That I am, Charlotte." Miley laughed. "And you've been rummaging through my closet haven't you?"

"No." Char responded stubbornly.

"Wanna try that again?" Miley smirked, wiping the smear of makeup splattered over the young girl's face.

"I'm sorry, mommy." Char confessed, hanging her head in shame. " I wanted to look pretty. Like you."

"Why settle for pretty when you're already beautiful?" Miley winked, drawing a smile from the girl who had been picking at her plaits nervously. "C'mon kid, let's go wipe that off."

Charlotte smiled widely, pleased to have not been told off as per usual and took a hold of her mother's hand. "Can ducky shower with us?"

"Who said anything about leaving him out?" Miley teased, smiling as the young girl beamed before rushing over to capture her toy duck. Ducky the duck, how fitting.

Demi rolled up her sleeves, heading in the direction of the bathroom. She was used to giving showers to Charlotte, as she was required to do so everyday.

"Oh, don't worry about it." Miley called out, halting her movements. "I'll do it."

"You will?" Demi questioned alarmed.

"Nothing I haven't done before, right?"

"Umm, right." Demi mumbled, knowing her statement was false but not wanting to make the woman before her angry. "Are you sure?"

"Eat. Mingle or something. You shouldn't have to spend every second of every day with me." Miley dismissed with a wave of her hand.

"Ready, Mommy." Charlotte says, having stripped down to her underwear with Ducky firmly held in her arms and a small miniature bathrobe.

"Don't forget the goggles." Miley answered cheekily before tossing the three year old over her shoulder causing her to squeal in laughter, before charging towards the bathroom.

Demi remains in the center of the room speechless.

/

Miley stares at herself a couple hours later in complete and utter disbelief. Her hair is pinned into a stylish chignon causing her wide blue eyes to intensify. Her makeup is flawless, minimal yet somehow still managing to make her beauty escalate, and the dress she wore was a red, strapless gown that fit her body perfectly and contained a slit thus allowing her long legs to make an appearance; she looked a combination of elegance and allure. She looked like a different person, something she found quite ironic considering the part she had chosen to play.

She cautiously makes her way down the stairs, fighting the urge to fidget nervously as all eyes instantly swivel in her direction; after all, all these people within the household had come specifically for her and she didn't want to embarrass herself, she certainly did not want to embarrass herself in front of her husband either; that would be a catastrophe in the making.

_Her husband. _She hadn't seen him yet and for the time being she was eternally grateful. Despite the fact that she had yet to meet him, he intimidated her greatly and she feared that she would make an embarrassment out of herself or completely give herself away in his presence under his scrutinizing glare. He had the power to make her or break her and she wasn't quite accustomed to the feeling. Shaking away her thoughts, she begun to play the part of the perfect hostess, greeting those whom approached her with a warm smile and a kindred spirit and even successfully making a couple double over in hysterics with jokes.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, provoking her to turn around and automatically felt her heart stop.

He is _beautiful. _His disheveled curls lay on top of his head as if perfectly positioned. He was wearing an expensive black suit that seemed to hug him perfectly, especially his muscles, and his brown eyes shone as he looked down at her with a smile. She eyed the pair of men behind her, which only seemed to further confirm who the Adonis before her was.

Nicholas Mathew Grey. Successful CEO of Grey Industries. _Her husband. _

"I've finally found you." He teases, wrapping an arm around Miley's waist before pressing a soft kiss on her sweet cheek. "Gentlemen, meet my lovely wife Hannah Grey."

"I wouldn't say lovely." Miley flushed, extending her hand politely. "Pleasure to meet you both."

"I believe the pleasure is ours. Nicholas, you didn't tell us your wife was so divine." A man whom introduced himself as Jake Cross stated.

"Definitely worth throwing a party for." Tyler Barrette agrees, the second business client. "She's quite the keeper, Nicholas. I suggest you never let her go."

"That is the plan." Nick laughs, sending her a flirtatious wink causing Miley to flush beet red. She didn't know what it was about this man that made her pulse racing and tingles shoot through her spine with just one glance, but its like she could not shut it off. Miley mused how it was possible for Hannah to leave this incredible specimen behind without an inch of regret.

The conversation flowed from her to family ( to which Charlotte was brought up ; Miley couldn't resist entertaining the two clients before her with cute pictures of Charlotte that she had found hidden in a lone desk drawer in her room) to business which caused Nick to begin his tirade about the business and why both Tyler and Jake should become compelled in joining the movement, making an investment and gaining lifelong benefits.

Miley couldn't help herself from smiling as she watched her supposed husband speak. He spoke with such intensity, passion, and adoration making it clear that he both admired and enjoyed his business. His eyes contained a fire of interest within them with each coming word and although Miley knew nothing specific about the business apart from the simple fact that his business happened to own three successful hotel franchises within the district, she herself felt drawn to joining him and becoming an investor and judging by the shared glances between the two clients before her, it was clear they possessed the same thoughts.

"I must say, I don't think I can say no after hearing a speech like that." Tyler laughs, turning towards his partner.

"Neither can I. "Jake agreed with a nod. "You must be very proud of your husband, Mrs. Grey. He's built quite the fortune for himself."

Miley smiles, boldly placing a hand on his bicep as she leans into his embrace. " Of course. However I'd be even prouder if you both were to decide to become a part of his success."

"Consider it done, " Tyler quips, sharing a glance with his partner for approval before further extending his hand. "We accept wholeheartedly."

Nick grins. " I assure you you will not be disappointed."

"I don't doubt we will." Jake responds with finality, lifting his cup to propose a toast.

/

"Thank God," Miley mumbles in relief as she finally pries her heels away from her aching feet. She could already see the blisters forming and knew that it would be hell for her to walk the next following day.

Nick raises a eyebrow. "I didn't think I would ever see a day where you grow tired of shoes."

"I've never been much of a shoe girl, especially heels." Miley shrugs, as she makes her way up the stairs. She had never been so relieved to witness the party wind down and the guests begin to disperse before in her life.

"That would explain the millions of shoes you have filling up your closet, right?"

Miley pauses, a hint of fear prickling her system. She had forgotten Hannah was an avid admirer of shoes.

"Gotta place your money somewhere right? You invest hotels, I invest shoes." She kids, causing him to shake his head in amazement.

"You never cease to amaze me, Hannah. In fact I think you deserve an Oscar after the performance you gave out there."

"You do?" Miley gulped, her calm and outgoing attitude quickly flying out the window. _Busted. _She couldn't even keep up with this charade for more than a day and he had already discovered that she was definitely not his wife.

"Of course." Nick laughs darkly, "I've never seen you so interested in the business except for when the pay cheque comes in nor have I ever seen you so affectionate before; I didn't even think that side of you even existed anymore."

Miley eyes him confusedly. "I- what are you talking about?"

Nick shakes his head; a slight laugh pouring out of his delicate lips before stalking towards the room opposite the bedroom Miley had discovered was theirs earlier.

"Aren't you coming to bed?" Miley asks, opting to brush off his earlier statements.

Nick raises an eyebrow. " I am. " Upon Miley's silence, he elaborates. "I don't know if you've forgotten, but we haven't slept in the same room much less been in each others presence for the past year."

"What?" Miley breathes, surely that didn't sound right.

"Goodnight Hannah." Nick responds harshly, quickly stalking into his room and briskly closing the door. Miley stands opposite the door he had just walked into, utterly and completely confused, a feeling she was sure she had felt about a million times the entirety of the day.

Things just weren't adding up. It didn't make sense. He was so nonchalant towards her, so harsh, his chocolate brown eyes that were filled with warmth and adoration earlier had faded towards coldness as each look he made towards her was dark, unpleasant and laced with hatred. She knew she should not be fazed by it considering his hatred wasn't necessarily directed towards her personally but it still irked her to the core.

Call it curiosity but that night she vowed to discover why it was that Hannah's husband possessed such ill feelings towards her. That night, she vowed that she would fix the broken parts of Hannah's life, starting with the messy relationship that belonged to her and husband.

She had no idea she would succeed.

/

_Present- _

Nick quietly opens the door, a soft smile coming to his face as he catches sight of the large pink room in front of him filled with stuffed toys of multiple different colors, books and a large play castle in the center of the room. His fingertips grazes the name-tag on the door imprinting the name of a young individual that has managed to creep into his heart and play with his heartstrings since the moment she was born.

"Daddy?" Charlotte calls out sleepily, causing Nick to halt from closing the door and wander back into the room.

"Hey there pretty girl, what are you doing up?" Nick mumbles, approaching the young mess bundled in a couple of sheets in the middle of the bed.

"Can't sleep." Charlotte shrugs, tucking a hand behind her head. "Ducky's sad."

"Ducky? Why?" Nick questions, pressing a soft kiss on her shoulder.

"He misses mommy." Charlotte admits, a lone tear falling out of her angelic eyes. Nick exhales, feeling his heart come to a stop as he looks down at his baby girl. It was obvious she was confessing her inner feelings and he was honestly shocked that she had only reached this point up to this very moment.

He didn't know what he could do, he didn't know what he could possibly say; there was no reassurance Hannah would ever come back and he hated the idea of lying to her. With no other words being exchanged, he climbed on the bed and pulled his daughter close to him and held her as she cried until her body tired out from exhaustion.

"I miss her too." He whispers into the darkness, before finally closing his eyelids and joining his daughter in the land of slumber.

He never suspected the teary-eyed figure watching the whole exchange through Charlotte's glass window.

* * *

**AN-** Long chapter! Finally finished it. I'm very sorry about the wait guys, I've just been working a lot lately and had no time for the computer. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and that you are still interested. Thank you for the support and once again don't forget to _review!_


	4. Chapter 3: Down

**An- **Late update: s I'm sorry I kept you guys waiting! This has been the first time I have had within the last couple of weeks to completely focus on my writing and this story. Appreciate the support and the reviews immensely and I sincerely hope that you all enjoy this chapter!

**Chapter 3: **_Down_

'_Waiting here in line, hoping that I'll find, what I've been chasing…' _

_-Past_

Miley allowed her slender legs to meet the cold, tile floors instantly wrapping a towel around her nude body and wet, brunette tresses. She had woken up thirty minutes ago to call Noah as promised, stirring her away from her incessant thoughts and muses, which honestly, she figured, was a blessing in disguise.

She couldn't get it out of her mind and the slight bags forming underneath her eyes were bare proof of it. The crude way he had looked at her underneath his frigid glare, his glacial tone and his stale body language from simply being around her presence threw her off guard, ignited a fire within her that she hadn't even been aware existed which led to her hastily flipping through the black leather journal Hannah had given her and tearing through her room for answers till the crack of dawn.

Time well wasted, she thought bitterly, as all she had managed to find was a lone photograph hidden in the bottom of Hannah's drawers. A photograph that had only spurred on her confusion even more. Hannah and Nick; she in a white gown that once again showcased all her assets and managed to elevate her beauty to the highest order and Nick in a prim and proper tuxedo that had him looking more handsome than ever, if it was even possible.

_Their wedding photo. _She was in his arms, gazing up at him with a loving smile and he grinned back, gazing at her with nothing but affection, love and desire, completely and utterly enchanted by her. They looked irrevocably in love which once again spiraled her into contemplating how in the world it was possible for a couple so in love and entranced by each other to the point where they had consummated their marriage and created a burst of life that would forever represent the love they share transform into a couple trapped in a seemingly emotionless and passionless marriage.

Shaking her head swiftly so as to keep her thoughts at bay, Miley quickly racked Hannah's closet to the best of her ability before settling on an outfit that was semi what she was accustomed to, getting dressed, blow drying her hair and opting to skip out on the makeup all together and let her hair cascade down her back in their natural waves.

That short reunion with Noah had left Miley feeling a lot more liberated, alive, refreshed and as she looked at her reflection in the mirror, a smile broke out on her face as she realized she looked a lot more like her actual self. Opening the door, she exited her room and made her way down the long corridor to the kitchen in order to get breakfast started.

"Madame-"

"I insist Dakota." Miley smiled warmly. " I'll take care of breakfast today, it's no big deal."

"But-"

"No buts." Miley intervenes, laying a gentle hand on the elderly woman's shoulder. "I appreciate your help, Dakota but I'm back now and I'd feel a lot better if you were to get some rest or perhaps enjoy some free time. I'm sure you've had to work yourself to the bone without me present and I won't take no for an answer, better yet take a seat."

"But Madame, I cook." Dakota argues, her thick French accent rolling off in waves.

"Not today you don't." Miley responds challengingly. "Go on, sit."

Dakota eyed her warily, not entirely sure if she were to take her direct orders or get lured into what she was convinced was a trap or test of some kind. Catching the determined look Hannah had thrown her way, she reluctantly sat down although she couldn't help herself from watching her every move with skeptical eyes.

Miley grinned in satisfaction, wrapping an apron around her body before quickly raiding the fridge for ingredients and taking a pan out of the cupboard; she'd make a killer breakfast.

"Something smells good." Nick says, entering the kitchen an hour later.

"Yummy." Charlotte pipes up, rubbing her growling stomach.

"Can't argue with you there, beautiful." Nick laughs, eyeing the numerous selections of food splattered around the table. "Dakota you've outdone yourself. "

"I no cook, just sit on my tush."

"Then who did?"

"Who cares? " Charlotte says, innocently smiling at her father as he looks down at her disapprovingly. "Daddy it's breakfast! I yike breakfast!"

"You and me both, baby. Although I think I went a little overboard." Miley says, throwing the girl a wink as she expertly moves the heavenly looking plate of crepes on the table; they were filled with a delicate filling of cream cheese and sour cream with a topping of strawberries flamed in Maraschino, she couldn't wait for them to try it.

"You-_you_ cooked?" Nick asks disbelievingly, the first to break the silence that had surrounded the room.

"Don't I always?" Miley frowns.

"Is that a serious question?"

"Lying will get you in punshment, mommy." Charlotte declared, wagging her tiny finger at her mother. "You can't cook and you hate breakfast!"

"What?" Miley breathed.

"Charlotte." Demi scolded softly.

"I- I guess I wanted to try something new. They taught me some lessons in Paris and I thought it'd be pretty cool to try it out." Miley stammered, internally wincing. She should have known Hannah wouldn't be the type to lift a finger in the kitchen. Typical.

Miley witnessed Demi and Nick exchange a look, communicating on a personal level causing Miley's inside to churn with jealousy. She was fond of her assistant, actually, she seemed like a very hardworking and dedicated woman and she was excellent at her job and successfully staying on top of every task, job or assignment handed to her from what she could tell but she couldn't help but envy her for the relationship she clearly had with both Charlotte and Nick despite the fact that it was on a professional level.

Demi smiles slightly. "Well it looks great. I'm sure it tastes delicious."

Miley smiles at her appreciatively, her embarrassment slowly dying away. "It should! I'd hate to have slaved away in this kitchen only to get negative results. Spare me the trouble will you?"

Nick raises his eyebrows in surprise and Demi eyes the woman in front of her in shock.

"You want me to join you guys for breakfast?"

"Something along those lines, yeah." Miley teases, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you know and your wellbeing should always be a top priority."

"It's really yummy, Demi." Charlotte cries in satisfaction, having plunged in her plate of eggs benedict amidst all the commotion.

"Like professional." Dakota agrees with a smile.

"Thank you." Demi murmurs in appreciation. Breakfast wasn't normally an option for her upon coming to the house as it was strictly prepared for those who lived in the household and Demi always had the misfortune of skipping out on it at home due to having to be here the minute the sun rose and getting here precisely on time when she lived about an hour away. Dakota would normally just save her a plate for later that she would normally get round to eating whenever she had a free chance.

"Dig in." Miley grinned, delicately sitting herself down at the table and moving forward to place some food on her plate before setting up a plate for Nick as well.

Nick watched on in bewilderment, especially as he witnessed her eagerly biting away at her breakfast. It was so unlike her, she detested breakfast, she found it irrelevant and the odd times she would decide to eat it settled for a salad or a healthy protein shake so as to keep her slim figure. Eyeing her just now felt as if he had walked straight into an alternate dimension.

"I was told you were going to work today so I took the liberty of making your lunch." Miley announces, lifting a large brown paper bag.

"The guys are taking me out for lunch today." Nick responds unfazed, picking up his suitcase. He bends down to bid his daughter farewell, a kiss on her hair no doubt, before opening the door and quickly rushing out the house.

Miley's bright smile diminishes as a crest fallen look comes upon her face, blinking away the hurt she felt; she forced a smile as her daughter, unbeknownst to her feelings, happily ran on about the things she planned to do today and the special people she planned to see.

/

Nick groaned in frustration, his face falling in his hands. He knew he should be focusing on the important finance files in front of him but he found that his brain was unwilling to cooperate and his concentration was running low. His mind was currently preoccupied with thoughts of her, a discovery that completely startled him; he hadn't been remotely interested in his wife for over a year but here he lay, his brain becoming enamored with her.

He couldn't get that hurt look out of his head. She had looked so hopeful the moment he had walked through the door and complimented her cooking and for the first time, he was overcome by guilt as he publicly shot her down and witnessed her bright smile vanish, cheeks tint with embarrassment and that sparkle in her eye fade away.

"Sup frobro?" Joe greets him, throwing himself on the spare chair adjacent to him and propping his feet up on the table, not before ruffling his fingers through his younger brothers hair of course.

Nick frowned. "You were expected here an hour ago."

"Got sidetracked." Joe shrugs carelessly.

Nick's eyes narrow in suspicion. " You were hitting on my receptionist again, weren't you?"

_Silence._

"Will you cut that out? I'm getting tired of firing my staff and I actually happen to like this one." He growls annoyed, smacking his brother upside the head.

"I don't blame you, Selena's hot and she's got a great pair of legs on her."

"Off limits." Nick warns him threateningly, he didn't want a repeat of the fiasco that occurred between his brother and his last staff member; Taylor had taken an obsessive liking towards Joe to the point where she couldn't focus on the roles assigned to her and a huge amounts of clients were lost as a result of it.

"Fine." Joe conceded with an eye roll.

"I don't know why you even bother, we all know you're in love with Demi." Joe's quick to protest and Nick smirks. "Might as well stop denying it, I see the way you look at her."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Joe squeaks and Nick rolls his eyes.

"Dude."

"She hates me and besides, I can't even walk out the front door without having a swarm of vultures following me around. I would never drag her into that kind of lifestyle." Joe conveys softly.

" 1) She only hates you because she thinks you're a skirt chasing cad which to be honest is a reputation you've set up for yourself and 2) she's not exactly immune to that kind of lifestyle, I'm not an actor sure but I've managed to make a few fortunes worth talking about. Just tell her, man."

"Nah, I'm good."

"Wuss." Nick kids and tries his best to conceal his laughter as Joe's eyes darken in fury.

"Whatever, Jackass. Fix your failure of a love life before you go butting into mine."

"Low blow." Nick glares and Joe smirks vengefully.

"You asked for it, although I don't know why you insist on sticking around. We gave you the perfect solution."

"I can't just divorce her." Nick barks furiously, although the principle has crossed his mind several times.

"Dude, after everything she's done. You should be running over the hills for a divorce."

Nick sighs, feeling a swirl of resentment, fury, shame and disgust penetrate through his veins as vivid images of that night fill his mind. He had never looked at her the same after that, he couldn't find it in him and honestly he had every right.

"It's not that simple." Joe regards him incredulously, and he elaborates. "We have Charlotte. She's my world, Joe. Everything I do, I do for her and I could never put her through that kind of hell."

"Dude-"

"She's acting…weird."

"She's the force of nature from an alternate dark realm, I thought we talked about this." Joe blinks, knowing his brother was referring to his wife.

"No, I mean. She was supportive and endearing last night." Nick explains, his brown eyes darkening in lust as he vividly remembers how alluring she had seemed last night in that red gown, she was a combination of sultry and elegance but there was something about her the other night that seemed pure, innocent, a reflection of the person he remembered her to be. "And this morning she was all sweet and normal looking and cooking breakfast-"

"She cooked? _No._" Joe expresses, eyes wide in disbelief. "Quit pulling my leg, bro."

"She _ate_, like quality food; none of that protein stuff."

"Maybe you imagined it. Yup I think you had a bad dream, where pigs could fly and your wife was someone worth keeping around."

"She made me lunch, Joe." Nick clarifies, boldly emphasizing the matter. "And it smelled pretty darn good."

"There's gotta be poison in there, no doubt. You didn't _eat _it did you?"

"I ran."

"Atta boy."

"I don't even know who she _is _anymore." Nick admits, he was used to the malicious, indifferent, cunning, version of his wife who only cared about nothing but herself and her own interests. Seeing her behave in this peculiar manner, _caring_, appreciative, sweet, modest, it awakened up feelings inside of him that he refused to let rise to the surface.

Joe's hand grasps his shoulder softly. "You never really knew her from the start. I know what your thinking, Nick and I advise you stop while you're ahead. This is Hannah we're talking about, as much as she appears to be changing and building something akin to a soul in that body of ice, she's got something up her sleeve, she always does."

"I know, Joe. I got it. I don't trust her either. I've dealt with enough of her bullshit to last a lifetime, I would never go down that road ever again."

"Good." Joe breathes supportively, bumping fists with his younger brother before rising to head out the door. He'd watched his brother go to hell and back because of her and he definitely wasn't about to let that wicked witch sink her claws into him again. As far as he knew Hannah didn't deserve him, and he desperately wished Nick could have the courage to throw her to the curb.

"Hey Nick?"

"Yeah?" Nick asks, looking up from the wad of scattered files in front of him.

"Your not like… still in love with her are you?" Joe inquires hesitantly.

Silence envelops the room, nothing but the sound of the clock ticking away, following a constant rhythm. Nick exhales, feeling as if the world had decided to go on without him and his heart had immediately stopped beating.

"I have to get back to work." Nick mumbles quietly, before turning away, ignoring the pair of eyes that burned a hole through his body with his oppugn glare and shielding himself from a set of bridges he wasn't prepared to face.

Joe clenches his jaw in worry as he exits the room, he's seen that look on his brothers face before, that look contradicted every word he's uttered in the last 45 minutes and he could only hope that his brother was smart enough to avoid complexity and not fall for her advances once again.

/

Miley smiles widely as she watches Charlotte from a safe distance, the three year old happily bouncing in glee as she cheerfully interacts with the animals in her line of vision. After the tragic episode that happened this morning, Miley had decided that she needed a distraction of some kind involving a crowd of people and some genuine fun. She had remembered Charlotte telling her the other day that she had always wanted to go to the zoo, but had never gotten a golden opportunity; she held no regrets whatsoever as they exited the house and approached the cages filled with different animals of different species, Charlotte's elated face had been absolutely worth it.

"Mommy, mommy look! He's dancing!" Charlotte exclaims cheerfully, gesturing to the orangutan hopping from one foot to another.

"He's not the only one." Miley laughs, witnessing Charlotte pull out some dance moves of her own as she wiggles her tiny little backside, flails her arms around wildly and mimics the animal in front of her by hopping from one foot to another.

"Your truly luck to have her, Mrs. Grey. She's adorable." Demi states admiringly, as Miley whips out her camera to take a few quick pictures.

Miley's heart twists, a sense of pride rushing through her despite the fact that Charlotte did not biologically belong to her. Charlotte was a great bubbly kid that was lively, full of spirit and held the ability to turn any frown upside down with her witty ways and adorable smile. Within 48 hours of knowing her, the young girl had managed to wholeheartedly capture her heart into her tiny little hands. She guessed it had something to do with the fact that she reminded her an awful lot of Noah, the Noah she knew before the world had decided to turn on her, shatter her heart and everything good she had ever believed in with absentee parents and tug at the last spark of life and hope she contained by adding her illness to the mix.

_Take care of her, _Hannah's voice rung in her head.

She couldn't fathom ever leaving a daughter as precious as her behind for a prolonged moment of time and once again pondered how Hannah had the ability to do so with a straight face.

"Thank you." Miley whispers, squeezing her hand gratefully. "For having my back back there, I'm guessing not too many would do that for me."

"I'm sure that's not true."

Miley raises her eyebrow expectantly and Demi drops her head, fiddling with her thumbs nervously.

"It's the least I could do, after you, you know went through the trouble of cooking breakfast for us." Demi opts on saying.

"I'm sorry." Miley verbalizes, catching Demi by surprise. "I know I haven't exactly treated you the way you deserve to be treated and I admire your loyalty towards me and this family for continuing to work with us despite the fact that I have clearly displayed nothing but venom towards you."

"You don't have to apologize," Demi smiles slightly, silently moved by her apologies, something she defiantly did not expect. " I try not to take it at heart. As dysfunctional as the family may be at times, I love working for your family and don't have any plans to quit any time soon."

"Have we always been that way? Dysfunctional? I can't remember a time when we weren't." Miley laughs, although actually asking the question in all seriousness.

"Not at first." Demi responds softly. " As portrayed to the outside world, your family was considered perfect, if such a thing actually exists. You and your husband were invincible, no one could ever pry your lips apart and Charlotte could never be seen with a frown or tear on her face and then one day.. It just stopped...Both of you were nothing but hostile towards each other, the two of you ultimately refused to be in the same room, preferring to be moved into separate bedrooms and Charlotte was divided between the two of you."

Miley nodded, letting the words Demi had uttered process into her mind and slowly sink into her brain. Although, some pieces to the puzzle were finally coming together she still found herself back to square 1. She still didn't know what had transpired between Nick and Hannah that caused such a dramatic fallout nor did she have any idea how to fix it ; all she knew was that Demi's words had done nothing but get her even more drawn to the story behind it all and fueled her goal to find out.

"Hey Dem?"

Demi looks at her confusedly.

"It's not Mrs. Grey, it's Hannah." Miley waggles her eyebrows teasingly. "It's about time you got it right, don't you think?"

Demi smiles, a sincere smile that she hadn't thought she could ever give her employer ever again.

/

"Mommy, when I gets older do you think I can live at the zoo?" Charlotte mumbles drowsily, battling the sleep that was quickly taking over her powerless little body.

"I don't think so, baby. Lions and bears aren't the best species to live with and mommy would be devastated if she ever lost you to a cage."

"You can come visit. You and daddy, and bring peanuts so I can be big and strong, like elmo."

"Elmo's an elephant, honey." Miley coos tenderly, gathering Hannah delicately in her arms and bolting up the stairs as carefully as possible. "I don't think you can ever get as big as him and if you were, it certainly wouldn't be because of a few peanuts."

Charlotte purses her lips sadly and Miley rakes a hand through her brunette tendrils soothingly.

"Listen kid, living at the zoo may be damn near impossible but I think you have a fair shot at working at the zoo for the rest of your life if that's the route you wanna go."

"Really?" Charlotte whispers in glee, eyes bouncing wide with delight making Miley's lips curl upwards in a smile.

"Baby girl, you can do anything your heart desires." Miley replies, having had reached her room, flickered the lights on and gently settled Charlotte on to her spacious, princess looking bed.

Charlotte grins, snugly sinking under the covers before grabbing 'ducky' and looking up at her mother with a dazzling smile. "Tank you for taking me to the zoo today mommy. I had lots and lots of fun!"

"The first of many, love I promise." Miley ventures, dropping a big, loud kiss on the girl's soft cheek causing her to giggle; the sound sounding like a voice of an angel.

"Next time can we bring daddy?" Charlotte blinks up at her mother pleadingly, her eyes gleaming with hope.

"I'm working on it, kiddo, believe me." Miley responds with a sigh.

"I hope I'm not interrupting something." Nick declares, after having knocked on the door and sauntered in the room, smiling after witnessing the radiant look on his daughters face.

"Daddy!" Charlotte exclaims sleepily. "Your home!"

"Duh." Nick winks, moving forward to perch himself on the foot of his daughters bed. "I had to see my favorite girl."

"I missed you, daddy." Charlotte says, falling into her father's arms; it was safe to say Charlotte was a daddy's a girl. Miley could see right away that the young girl completely worshipped the ground he walked on just by seeing the unique twinkle that flashed in her eyes the moment she recognized his presence. Clearly the girl absolutely despised being away from her father, even for a mere few hours; it was obvious Nick felt the same and Miley couldn't stop her heart from twisting into a pile of mush as she watched them interact with one another.

"I missed you too, char bear." Nick responds, his heart melting as he looked into her pool of mesmerizing blue eyes. "Although, by the looks of it I think you're doing just fine without me."

Charlotte grins, baring sparkly teeth and all as she quickly becomes excited again. "Mommy took me to the zoo! And I saw monkeys, and bears, and lions and chimps and I got to ride an el-phant, daddy. You shoulda saw him, he's huge!"

"I don't doubt he is." Nick murmurs, Charlotte yawns and Nick's lips brush her forehead. " Maybe we can have an adventure of our own tomorrow. I think it's time for bed."

Charlotte nods, her eyes fluttering shut. "Will you come with us next time?"

"For you, I'll do anything. Good night princess."

"Goodnight and good night, mommy."

"Sweet dreams, baby girl."

Nick and Miley linger in the room quietly, witnessing Charlotte succumb to the magical lure of slumber before deciding to tip toe out of the room.

"I've never been so enthralled by someone in my life until I met her. She's perfect."

"I hate to say it, but I think it's the first time in forever that we can actually agree on something."

"I-I've been meaning to speak to you about that." Miley says, nerves building in her stomach as Nick's brown eyes wander over to hers curiously. " I think we should give it a rest, Nicholas. We should be a team, not sworn enemies. It isn't ideal for our marriage and it isn't ideal for Charlotte. "

"Don't." Nick articulates roughly, his eyes darkening in fury as his whole face becomes stony. "Don't you dare."

"Nick-"

He points his finger at her accusingly. "You don't get to say things like that! "

"I didn't mean to upset you, I just-"

"You tore apart this family, Hannah not me _you _so don't act like you're the victim in this warped lifestyle we call a marriage! There wasn't anything you wanted that I didn't give you! I gave you everything, I gave you my heart and all you managed to do with it is have me fall dangerously in love with you only to stomp on it and break it to pieces without an inch of regret!"

"I'm sorry." Miley sobs, feeling her heart constrict painfully in her chest as she looks into the eyes of the emotionally bruised man in front of her. In that moment she felt for him, she wanted to bring him into the comfort of his arms and shield him from the evident pain he was experiencing, she wanted to kiss away all his pain until every last bit evaporated from his body. In that moment she couldn't help but feel a twinge of bitterness for the woman she was impersonating.

She may not know what happened between them, but she was aware of one thing. whatever had happened, Hannah had played a huge part of it, more so caused it thus putting shambles into what seemed a successful and loving marriage and a trail of sadness and destruction for the man she pledged to love forever and the daughter that deserved nothing but being raised in a happy environment, in a happy home.

"Don't bother." Nick says coldly, his jaw clenched together tightly. "As far as I'm concerned, Hannah our marriage no longer exists.. And as for Charlotte, she'll be just fine as long as she strays away from being as vindictive and malicious as her mother."

Miley gasps and Nick hurriedly faces away from her and stalks out of the corridor and into his room.

/

_Present-_

Hannah Sophia Grey taps her expensive heels against the pavement, her eyes impatiently peering over to the luxurious watch that lay on her wrist. A common pet peeve that she could not tolerate from anybody was tardiness, but yet here she stood waiting in the dead of the night for someone who was over an hour late.

"Your late." She barks unpleasantly, glaring at him angrily as she roughly backs him up into a wall.

"The route I took happened to have cops swarming around. I had to wait for the right moment to leave so I wouldn't be followed, unless you would rather this little arrangement to be traced back to you."

"Don't play smart with me." Hannah seethes, viciously looking at the masked figure in front of her. "I imagine your team is properly assembled?"

The unknown figure nods fearfully. "Ready to go. All we need is your signal. "

"Excellent. You strike tomorrow." Hannah pulls out a leather briefcase. "Half of what I promised is located in this briefcase. The rest will be handed to you same time tomorrow, once I am assured that the job is done and the job is done as smoothly as possible, understood?"

"Yes." The figure squeaks, quickly grasping the leather briefcase after having precise confirmation that the funds he was promised were there.

Hannah grabs a fistful of his shirt in her hands. "Get it done and get it done right. Any complications and I assure you I will spend the rest of my life hunting you down and frankly, I wouldn't wish that kind of danger on anyone."

The unknown figure, dressed head to toe in black attire nods meekly and she releases him, stalking away quickly from the scene. An uneasy feeling envelops her and she swallows thickly, feeling a wave of guilt tug at her conscience. She hadn't wanted it to come to this point but she was at a crossroads and she was running out of time. She had to do this and she had to do it effective immediately, she only hoped that one day they could find it in themselves, wherever they may be, to forgive her. Tomorrow, this constant nightmare haunting her would finally be over, tomorrow she would finally be receiving the freedom and escape she longed for and with a lone tear falling from her beautiful blue eyes, she walks away with a heavy heart.

/

**AN- **Dun! Dun! Dun! _Dun! _Another cliff hanger for you unfortunately, but we're getting there. We're slowly unraveling the multiple mysteries within the story! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and if you all reading could do me a favor and take a few second to review that would be great. I love hearing about your views and opinions regarding this story, even when its negative so I could take your views and opinions and enhance to them to the best of my abilities writing wise.


	5. Chapter 4: Only One

**AN- **An update in exchange for your love? I know its been approximately two months since I've updated and I'm sincerely sorry about that. As I have explained within the new chapter posting in _The Cure. _I had lost every bit of faith and inspiration I held to go on with my writing. I am a perfectionist and I take my writing very seriously, I felt like the written material I had at the time would not exceed your expectations due to the fact that I was unsatisfied with it myself, that and with uni, my internship and work there was no time I could pencil in to update. However, I hope you all can forgive me! I feel the need though to really express my gratitude and appreciation towards all of you supporters and followers of this story, despite my little uncalled hiatus, you all had remained by my side and had frequently reviewed your love for this story and your desire for it to return! Thank you _so _much, you have no idea how much your words, encouragement and support had affected me! I only hope that this chapter reflects my appreciation of you guys to the best of its ability! _Enjoy!_

**Chapter 4: Only One **

'_My eyes are painted red, the canvas of my soul, slowly breaking down again…' _

_-Past_

Miley sighs in defeat, exasperatedly permitting her back to hit the pillows lazily sprawled across her bed. A fog of darkness surrounds her and yet she can't yield to it, her mind too active, too alert as an invasion in the form of vivid images command authority over her mind.

_He _is all she sees. His distraught brown eyes staring coldly into hers, the sharp bitterness in his tone as he speaks, his voice growing thick with hatred and his cheeks flaming red with fury as he towers over her.

"_As far as I'm concerned, Hannah our marriage no longer exists… and as for Charlotte, she'll be just fine as long as she strays away from being as vindictive and malicious as her mother. " _

Her eyes begin to water, her hand flying to her heart. Each time her mind replays that moment, each time that scene comes to life in her mind, a sliver of her heart breaks. She had never thought a set of words not even remotely directed towards her specifically, could affect her so deeply. She shouldn't get involved, she shouldn't get in the middle of things, and this torturous arrangement between Nick and Hannah should remain between them and them alone yet she can't help it. It's like she's drawn to it.

Although not knowing him for a long period of time, he had managed to get inside her head, worm his way into her heart despite only receiving nothing but coldness, bitterness and resentment from him, frigid words; words of a broken man. At the moment she wants to stalk up to the woman she's impersonating and demand what she had done, _why _she had done it and urge her to fix it. At the moment she wants to stride up to Nick and kiss his pain away, find a way to direct him towards a time where he was happy, content instead of the mess of an Adonis he currently is. A flurry of emotions bombard her and she's instantly possessed with this strong desire to protect him, be there for him, give him the kind of life he deserves, the bliss he should be fulfilling and she doesn't know why. She's not linked to him whatsoever, she doesn't even know the guy but she cares. She _cares_.

She's rudely extracted away from her thoughts to the sound of the door storming open, wild brown eyes standing on the other side.

"Nick?" She questions with concern.

"I vowed to myself I would never step foot in this room again, funny how things works out right?" Nick quips distastefully, although it comes across to her as more of a slur.

His eyes are swarming with red and are heavy lidded, his hair is disheveled as if he had raked his hands through those luscious dark curls in frustration a handful of times and he's stumbling over his words, tripping over himself as he aims to get closer and closer to her, bottle tightly nestled in his hands.

"Your drunk." Miley says, although it's more of a statement then a question.

"You were always the observant one. I could never determine whether I loathed or loved that about you." He grins lopsidedly, briskly taking a swig from his bourbon before his expression changes, his face crumbles and the mask he had been wearing shatters to the floor. "I can't get you out of my head."

"Why can't I get you out of my head?" Nick asks tiredly, hands trembling as his intoxicated orbs pierce unto Miley's.

"Nick.." She breathes, at loss for words. She flashes him a watery smile reaching for the bottle in his hands but he cowers away, blocking it from her sight.

"Don't." He threatens; eyes flashing as he hastily downs the alcohol down his throat yet again.

"Nick.." Miley whispers, cautiously placing a hand on his shoulder; she recognized the look on his face, it was a haunting mirror image of the feelings and sentiments she herself held within; longing, anguish, fury and an increasing build up of sadness, sorrow, melancholy; the key emotions of an individual going through life with a heavy heart.

Nick looks up at her, his troubled eyes swinging back between her eyes and her hands in confusion, at loss with what to do.

"I'm sorry." Miley conveys and he sucks in a breath, breaking away from her grasp, shaking his head wildly.

"What game are you playing, Hannah? Haven't you done enough?" He expresses dejectedly and her heart breaks at the sight.

"I never meant for things to turn out this way." Miley responds, although not knowing if her statement was the right thing to say, she still had no idea what had transpired between Nick and his wife but she does know that she'll say anything, _do _anything to make him feel better, to get rid of this lingering pain he's feeling, to free himself from this sorrow he's drowning in. "I want to make things right."

"Then you shouldn't have done what you did!" He seethes furiously, stalking towards her. She steps backwards and he places his hands on both sides of the wall, trapping her in. " I thought we were happy, I thought you were happy. We were married, we had all the luxuries in the world money can buy, I would've handed you the world on a silver platter if you asked for it, I thought we were okay and then I caught you in bed with the enemy and every previous thought I had about you and our marriage and our love flew out the window."

Miley gasps, her heart tearing into tiny pieces at the new found information.

"You never even came after me. You didn't even profess a word, no excuses, nothing. It was like I never meant anything to you, I wasn't worth fighting for. " He exclaims, a lone tear making its way down his cheek.

"I made a mistake, Nick, God, I made a mistake. I'm so sorry." Miley breathes, feeling an immediate burst of anger build up inside of her. How could Hannah do this? How could she ever think of betraying a man so sexy, caring and passionate who loved her so deeply, who adored her very existence, who would fight every living person on earth for her happiness? He doesn't deserve this.

He shakes his head solemnly in response, clutching his stomach as a foul concoction begins to rise to the surface and Miley rushes to his side, steering him towards the bathroom and smoothing his bouncy dark curls away from his face as the alcohol he had consumed violently emerges from his body. She grabs a towel and dabs it with water before pressing it against his skin.

His eyes flutter shut as he captures a moment of serenity from the cool droplets against his pale, heated skin before he's abruptly faced with reality the moment his eyes reopen and her beautiful, concerned aquamarine eyes are fixated on him and him alone. He swallows thickly, feeling as though those glorious eyes were staring straight into his soul, for a moment he feels as though they're connecting, they've reached a mutual understanding for one another and as fleeting as the thought had occurred, the thought flickers away.

"I want to start over." Miley announces, causing his eyes to drunkenly dart towards her. "I want to make things right."

He snorts, his face falling. He's waited so long to hear those words escape from her voluptuous plump lips and now that he's heard them, it doesn't change anything, it doesn't make anything better infact it does nothing but cease to amaze him. He knows better than to believe her, he knows better than to be labeled a prisoner in her stupid mind games.

"Loving you, Hannah is both a blessing and a curse. I don't think I could experience the same amount of heartache twice." Nick responds exhaustedly, turmoil evident in his eyes and Miley's heart breaks at the sight for the second time that night.

He strides out of the bathroom, feeling a strong wave of fatigue hit him and lazily stumbles onto the bed, eyes drooping. Miley sees him thrashing on the bed as he attempts to remove his clothes and she's quick to come to his aid, removing his shoes before hesitantly and cautiously removing his jeans and shirt while trying to look anywhere but him; as dysfunctional and problematic their marriage is and as furious as she is with Hannah for bruising this incredible specimen in front of her in such a way, he was still married and it was evident he still possessed strong feelings for his wife.

Once clad in nothing but boxers, she sprawls a blanket over him before hesitantly grabbing a pillow for herself, opting to let him obtain her room for the time being while she sleeps on the couch.

Just as she rises, his hand curls around her own tightly and she whips her head up, meeting his intent dark eyes peering down at her.

"Stay." He slurs pleadingly, and she hitches at the close proximity and the feel of his body flush against hers and before she knows it she feels hot between the legs and her mind is invaded with inappropriate thoughts of him and her.

"Please." He adds, and his hand is trailing up her arm and his breath is hot in her ear and she knows she can't deny his request, it's physically impossible.

"Okay." She whispers softly, making her way next to him all the while her eyes never leaving his. She watches his face relax; his eyes soften before the lure of slumber pulls him in and his eyes flutter shut.

Miley lays there for a moment, watching the rise and fall of his chest as he's pulled further and further into slumber and as the moonlight sprawls across his face, highlighting every contour and feature of his face, she comes to the conclusion that he's beautiful, quite possibly the most beautiful person she had ever met both inside and out and it kills her that he's not treated like it, that he's not given the respect, the love and the adoration that he deserves. She vows then and there that she will be that woman for him, she will be the side of his wife he has always desired, she will mold in to the person he deserves and she tells herself it's not her getting involved, she's not doing this because she's developing feelings for him. She's doing it for him and Charlotte and her distaste of seeing such a broken home.

/

Miley shuts her bedroom door the next morning, the sound of her boots coming in contact with the floor as she moves down the long corridor, completely and utterly lost in thought. He had disappeared.

She'd stirred awake to a blank and rumpled sheet and empty space where, if she hadn't been absolutely sure she hadn't been dreaming, Nick's body lay. He's running. She's not surprised by it and to be honest, she had expected it. She could only imagine how embarrassed, flustered, humiliated and utterly furious he is with himself at being so open with her, revealing himself to her, exposing himself to her when he's spent so long trying to disguise his inner emotions, have the upper hand.

As much as it disconcerted him to open up to her in such a way, and as tragic and difficult it had been to see him that way, witness him in so much pain, she finds his vulnerability admirable; his vulnerability is a representation of his humanity as opposed to the walking zombie he had transformed himself into and she admired his ability to be the best he can be for his daughter, provide for her, run a successful empire and be brave and strong enough to deal and remain by the side of the person who has rendered his heart as jaded and complex as it was with each passing day.

Nicholas Grey is simply remarkable.

Before she knows it, she's reached her destination and she's opening the door, looking across the room in amusement as she eyes the dark haired four year old with a hand perched on her hip and pensive look on her face, her fingers drumming against her chest in wonder. She laughs softly to herself; the girl is 4 going on 40.

"Penny for your thoughts?" She speaks aloud, alerting the girl of her presence and Charlotte twirls around.

"I can't decide what to wear." Charlotte huffs, and Miley fights the urge to laugh, tucking the young girl under her arm.

"Need some help?"

"Yes. Please." Charlotte responds sheepishly and Miley shakes her head, ruffling the girl's messy brunette locks affectionately. Her eyes dart around the room, settling on a cream top, black skinny jeans and matching cream boots that she knew would look absolutely cute on Charlotte. She raises it up suggestively and Charlotte grins, eyes beaming as she eagerly accepts the outfit of the day.

"Twirl for me, baby." Miley calls out playfully and Hannah giggles, obeying her demands and giving a dramatic twirl which has both of them tumbling into laughter.

"Will you do my hair?" Charlotte whispers shyly and Miley smiles, grabbing a brush and seating her in front of the large vanity mirror in the room. She runs a brush through Charlotte's tangled locks twice before twisting her hair into French braided pigtails. She takes an appreciative moment to glance at her work before stepping back to let Charlotte take a glance.

Charlotte smiles, pressing a small hand on her reflection in the mirror. "Pretty." She whispers.

"And don't you forget it." Miley responds, wagging a finger at the young girl making her smile.

"Thank you." Charlotte says sweetly, her arms situating themselves around her mother's arms. She looks up at her mother, her eyes twinkling.

"Mommy?"

"Yeah?" Miley hums, trying to disguise the guilt creeping into her at the thought of blindly deceiving such an innocent bundle of sunshine.

"I like this side of you." She admits, peering at her mother cautiously and Miley looks down at her confusedly before it registers in her brain that Charlotte had never received this kind of attention and affection from her mother before. Miley had only ever seen her hesitant, cautious and inquisitive around her but the more she spent time with her, the more the child begun to relax and feel comfortable around her.

"Yeah? I'm glad you do because you'll be seeing it more often. I plan to spoil you rotten." Miley responds, lightly tapping the girl's nose with her finger. "C'mon kid, someone's late for school."

Charlotte grabs her hello kitty bag, strapping it on to her back before boldly intertwining her hands with her mothers. She doesn't know what happened to her mother while she was away, nor does know what had triggered it but she does know that this gentleness she has acquired has changed her for the better; she hopes it doesn't go away any time soon.

/

Nick enters his house with bated breath. He doesn't know what to expect, he doesn't know how to act , all he knows is his heart is racing, his fingers are trembling and he's not prepared to be back, he's not prepared to face her. He couldn't believe he had been so _stupid. _

He hadn't been aware of how everything unfolded. He just remembered feeling an enormous amount of anguish; turmoil, despair and a scorching sizzle of hurt clawing away at him and a desperate need for an escape. He hadn't expected to barge into her room in the middle of the night and expose himself to her, show everything he had kept hidden inside, everything that had been suffocating him. A part of him felt relief to get it all out there, to finally get past the tidal wave he had been stuck on, to get to the other side of the tunnel yet the other side of him, the part of him that counted on pride was repulsed by his actions and that was why he had bolted out of the room the minute dawn broke and sauntered into his office, looking for a distraction, anything that would pull his thoughts away from her.

He remembers her holding his hair back as he puked the contents of his alcohol out and he remembers the way she took care of him with such tenderness, warmth. He remembers her words, he remembers begging her to _stay. _His flesh against hers, the feel of her smooth bare legs intertwined in his, her jasmine and honey scent captivating him, bewitching him. He's convinced himself he hates her, that he would never get caught in her manipulations ever again but for some reason he can't help it. It's like he's drawn to her, he can't shake her off of him no matter how much he tries. He's absolutely spellbound by her, her long legs, wide aquamarine eyes, and head full of dark hair and as he looks around the room and catches sight of her sprawled across the couch, throwing her head back in laughter after making goofy playful faces at their daughter, he detests the fact that his heart melts, the corners of his mouth lifts into a smile and all the ill feelings he has over her floats away. It's the picture perfect scene he never thought he'd ever get the chance of seeing ever again.

"Nick…" She states out of breath, finally taking note of his presence and he feels his own source of air getting lost into the oblivion as he faces her for the first time since their encounter. Her hair is pulled back into a messy bun on top of her head, she's bearing no makeup and she's chosen to ditch her usual attire and opt for a plain wife beater and sweats yet he's still taken aback by her, infact, in his eyes he's never seen her more beautiful than in that particular moment.

"Daddy!" Charlotte squeals and he smiles as she runs straight into his arms, affectionately nuzzling his face in her shoulder.

"What's going on in here?" He questions, his eyes settling on the collection of chocolates, popcorn and snacks surrounding the room.

"Me and mommy are having a movie night!" She announces excitedly and he chuckles.

"Mommy and I." He corrects her, smirking as she rolls her eyes before flashing him a dazzling smile.

"Will you watch with us?" She asks, her eyes twinkling with hope and excitement at the prospect of having a quality family moment with both of her parents.

"Charlotte." Miley scolds softly.

"I'd love to." Nick responds confidently, leading Charlotte towards the couch where she positions herself contentedly in between both of her parents. He tells himself he'd agreed because of the happiness that had crossed Charlotte's face and not because he wants to see _her_, be near her, fill his nostrils with that womanly scent of hers that manages to drive him insane.

Charlotte picks the movie and it's a fairly good movie that he actually enjoys watching yet he's not compelled to watch it. His thoughts are once again straying back to her. Her arm is brushing up against his and he feels tingles shoot throughout the whole of his body and when she smiles at a particular heartfelt scene, he becomes undone, he feels like he can't breathe. She's a coquettish devil and he's convinced she's been directed into his life to torture him.

He feels an object fall unto his shoulder and presses his lips against his precious daughters forehead as he shakes his head amusedly, she can never go through an entire movie.

Silence envelops the room, nothing but the sound of Madison Pettis and The Rock floating the room and suddenly he's lost every sense of rationality he posseses. His head whips around to look at her and he's opening his mouth without even really thinking about what he's saying and he hates that he all of a sudden has no filter when it comes to her.

"Why?" He demands and she looks at him momentarily puzzled.

"What?"

"Why?" He repeats, before elaborating. "Yesterday…" _Why did you take care of me? _

"I meant what I said yesterday." Miley says in response, her head held high in confidence. "I want us to have a fresh start. I want to make things right."

"Why now?"

"Because…" Miley starts, "Because l was wrong. I shouldn't have cheated on you, you didn't deserve such a betrayal and I shouldn't have let you believe that you didn't matter and that you're not worth it because you are and I'll make it a lifelong goal to get you to believe that if I have to. "

"I'm sorry." Miley concludes, placing a hand over his and he intakes a breath.

"I don't know if I'll ever trust you." Nick admits quietly, his eyes trailing back to the little girl in his arms. " But what I do know is that I'm willing to try. It's unhealthy, this dynamic that we've created and its time we put a stop to it. For Charlotte."

"For Charlotte." Miley agrees.

Nick exchanges no further words, settling his daughter comfortably in his arms before trailing his eyes back to the movie he had spent a better portion of the film ignoring. Miley looks over at him and smiles. _Progress._

_/_

_-Present_

Nick twirls his wedding band around his finger solemnly before running a hand through his curls in exhaustion. It's been two weeks, two weeks since his wife had performed the huge spectacle of leaving him at the altar infront of a crowd of witnesses, two weeks since he had seen her bright smile that lights up the entire room and her sparkling blue eyes. He misses the feel of her lips against his, the perfect way she nestled into his body, their bodies slick with sweat and perspiration from their countless lovemaking. He misses the breathy way she would say his name and the way she would draw circles on the bit of skin where his heart was located. He misses her, every single piece of her, her strengths, her weaknesses, her flaws, her heart, all of it and he contemplates once again what he had done wrong, why she had left, why she continuously decides to shatter his heart into a million pieces and stomp on it.

It had taken him what seemed like eternity for him to trust her again, to fully let her in and he'd really thought they'd make it this time, he really thought he had really gotten it; her love, pure, genuine, real... clearly he had been wrong. His whole body tenses, his teeth clenches together in fury and ripples through the whole of his body. She had abandoned him, she had abandoned their daughter and he was tired of being manipulated by her, he was tired of endlessly being humiliated by her, toyed with by her. He was mortified of this constant feeling of depression and heartbreak that she always managed to illicit from him again and again and _again. _He needs to let go. He needs to let go of her and his eyes dart over to the recent picture they had taken as a family. His giant smile taunts him as one hand supports his smiling daughter who is perched on his hip and the other is slashed around her waist, reeling her into him as she looks at him like he's her world, like she could never envision life not being by his side. He grips the photograph tightly in his hands, pausing to look at it for a moment before deciding to do the inevitable, deciding to say goodbye to his past ad terminate all ties to her, take a leap forward towards a life without her dark presence in his life. Just as he's about the throw the photograph in the fireplace and silently watch it burn in flames, a feminine hand grips onto his causing him to freeze, his heart coming to an automatic stop.

It couldn't be, he thinks, but there's no other conclusion that he can think of. He'd recognize that alluring scent even if he was trapped in a maze full of people;a distinct mix of honey and jasmine and a slight dash of lavender that only _she _possesses, that high he receives just by her presence. He whirls around in an instant.

"Hannah?" He gapes in disbelief, a flurry of emotions gnawing away at him all at once.

She slowly shakes her head, tentatively raising her eyes to meet his.

"No, Nick." She mumbles, although he can hear her as clear as day. She eyes him apprehensively. " Not Hannah, Miley."

/

**AN- **Oh my _God _! So many things are revealed in this chapter! You all finally know what had occurred between Nick and Hannah and why Nick harbors such ill feelings for his wife!We all also got a peek into the change in dynamics in the relationship between Nick and Miley and finally, you see the first real encounter between Nick and Miley since she left him standing at the altar and she reveals her true identity to him. On another note, who else is excited by the new Jonas Brothers song '_wedding bells'_ written by Nick himself? It's obvious he still loves her or holds strong feelings for her and although I am a Miam supporter, I can't help but feel a rush of excitement at the thought of it. Add fuel to the fire and tell me what you think, about the song, about the chapter, _anything _and let me know if you all are still interested. Don't forget to click on the attractive green review button on the bottom of the page.


	6. Chapter 5: Never Let Me Go

**AN-**Oh my _God! _I honestly do not know what to say that would accurately capture my thoughts and feelings. Thank you so much for all your lovely comments! Your reviews have honestly left my heart singing with joy, you have no idea what pleasure I had received from one glance at my overflowing inbox. It has been a hard couple of weeks, my aunt had died some time after I had updated the last chapter and its been a struggle adjusting as she and I were as close as my mother and I, it still is an immense struggle and adjustment but your reviews have given me the strength to keep going and to have something to look forward to. Thank you for your continuous support and while I feel my writing this chapter does not compare to the other chapters, I hope you are able to enjoy it all the same.

**Chapter 5: Never Let Me Go**

'_And its peaceful in the deep, cathedral where you can not breathe, no need to pray, no need to breathe, now I am under…' _

Nick lay awake in his bed, his eyes distractedly trailing towards the ceiling, his mind once again preoccupied as it wanders back towards the previous night. Although not regretting his decision in the slightest, he can't help but feel a little discomfort. It had been so long since he had found it in him to cooperate with his wife, to acknowledge her as anything other than the malicious, adulterous woman that she is and yet here he is undergoing some kind of co-existence with her. He sighs before reluctantly pulling himself off the bed.

_For Charlotte, _he muses, _this is all for Charlotte,_ although a lingering voice in his mind is telling him that his statement is partly true, that as much as he wants to put his energy into believing that all of this is for his daughter, It's not. Part of it is for him too and he _despises it. _

He wishes he could get over her, he thought he had and then she returned and its like his mind could not get enough of her, his whole being is utterly and completely taken by her. She's so _different _and that's the trait about her that startles him the most. He had gotten used to her hostile, vindictive, snobby attitude and suddenly she has transformed into this whole different individual who is loving, and sweet and humble and unsuperficial that at one point he had even contemplated if she was even his wife, if he had awoken to an alternate dimension where his innermost deepest fantasies and desires came to life. The way she walks, the way she smells, the way her eyes sparkle to life the moment she looks at him, it wraps around the entirety of his soul and tugs at his heart strings and despite his reluctance, despite his firm refusal, he can feel his resolve crumbling to pieces and the barriers he had placed around his heart slowly weakening, tumbling down into the oblivion. He's letting her in and he can't find it in him to do other wise.

Roughly shaking his head as if to shake her out of his thoughts, he lazily places a towel over his shoulder and steps out into the hall. Reaching the bathroom, he strips off his shirt revealing his bare, sculpted torso failing to have noticed the disheveled mass of clothes sprawled on the floor, the misty fog surrounding the air and the vision of a slender woman nestled inside until he opens the curtains.

Long slender legs that begged to wrap around him, slim waist that his firm hands yearned to run his hands all over, perky round breasts that his body aches to feel against him, hands ache to touch, lips desire to taste. In that distinct moment, lust strikes him fiercely and his mind is confronted with images of him and her, a hand gripping on the bathroom tile as the other supports her, their bodies glistening as they press up against each other, droplets trailing down their bare flesh. He sees a flash of roaming hands, erect nipples pressed against his chest, her hot breath in his ear taunting him, enticing him as he places heated kisses on to every bit of flesh in his line of vision. Her slender legs are curled around his waist, her eyes are sparkling and her lips curl into a seductive smirk and suddenly his lips are on hers hungrily, as if he can't get enough, as if he had been waiting for this moment his whole entire life, as if there was no other feeling greater than the feel of him buried inside her, lost into this deep magnitude of ecstasy that only she could ever bring him to.

"Oh my God." Miley gasps, instantly gripping a towel to shield her body and Nick jerks as he's abruptly pulled away from his trance and in to reality.

"I…" He mumbles speechlessly, no words erupting from his lips as his eyes follow the droplet of water trailing down her long, long, flawless legs. _God Damn. _

Without another word, he briskly shakes his head before hastily storming out of the room, not looking back until he was a safe distance away and in the comfort of his own room, his own little villa, the one place where she did not have access.

Even her body is different, he muses in awe. It was less perfect, flawed and yet in all this time he had known her, in all this time he had been married to her, he had never been so tremendously attracted to her than in that moment, even when he was utterly and blissfully in love with her. The lust, desire, explicit want that he felt for her took him by surprise, absolutely marveled him. It dominated every rational part of him, seduced the fragile parts of his heart and manipulated his mind.

He wants to sum it up to the notion of not having sex for over a year, and he's firm that he can actually believe it, convince himself, yet that persistent voice in the back of his head insists otherwise. His wife is gnawing away at every bit of resistance he possesses. He's bombarded with those sparkly blue eyes and that seductive smirk of hers he envisioned earlier and his fingers shake with heat.

He's going out of his mind.

* * *

_Holy _shit, Miley thinks for what seems like the billionth time. Her back is pressed against the changing room stall, the dress she held in front of her holding little importance as she witnesses the moment playing over in her mind again and again and _again. _ It was like a replay button had been injected into her brain; it just wouldn't stop and she wasn't sure she necessarily wanted it to.

Had that actually happened?

She thought some retail therapy would do the trick, coerce her mind into thinking of anything _but _him, forget about the little incident that occurred this morning but yet there she stood, he, once again displaying the strong ounce of power he held over her mind as he reigned her thoughts. He had walked in on her in the shower.

She should be mortified, embarrassed, violated. He had seen her _naked_, unclothed, stripped bare and vulnerable and yet she isn't. He eyed her like he was truly looking at her, like she was the most precious, exotic, tempting person he had ever encountered, as if he craved nothing else but to jump into that shower and caress her body with his, treat her body to a luxury that only he could fulfill, provide and as wrong as it is, a tremor of exhilaration penetrates through her veins and fills the whole of her body.

How could something so wrong feel _so _right?

A voice comes in between her and her thoughts and she is snapped back into reality, quickly disentangling the delicate fabric from its hanger and sliding it on to her body. She glances at the mirror and frowns, pulling the dress off of her just as quickly as she had placed it on before opening the stall and facing the woman waiting for her on the other side.

"How did it go?" Demi asks with a glimmer of hope twinkling in her eyes and for a moment, Miley takes a moment to admire the brunette before her. She's always so cheery and optimistic that it blows her away sometimes.

"It just didn't… feel right." Miley says with a grimace.

"You still have time to make some more rounds." Demi states suggestively after having checked her planner. " We'll find something eventually."

"Oh, we'll find something but not for me."

Demi eyes her confusedly and Miley grins mischeviously, nodding at a dress on display.

"Your not as subtle as you think you know? I've caught you staring at that dress atleast ten times in the span of five minutes. Knock yourself out."

"I couldn't..."

"Yes you could and you will." Miley replies stubbornly.

"Hannah." Demi begins, quickly being intercepted.

"Go." Miley replies sternly, her fierce blue eyes peering into the dark brown opposite her and Demi sighs, before obliging although Miley can see the swirl of excitement in her eyes.

Demi glances at her nervously, her hand gripping the dress that had completely entranced her since the moment she had seen it and Miley smiles encouragingly, giving her two thumbs up before softly shoving her into the direction of the stall.

"What do you think?"

Miley whirls around to face the woman opposite her, eyeing her skeptically and gasps, completely blown away.

"Demi…" Miley gapes at the woman opposite her speechlessly, " You look stunning."

And she meant every word. She wore a strapless peach chiffon gown that clung to her body like a second skin, hugged her curves in all the right places and spread to the floor gracefully, cascading around her. The embroidery at the bodice hoisted her boobs up making her look more profound and adding a bit of a sex appeal to the very classy dress.

"You think?"

"Why you hide behind those loose clothes of yours is beyond me. If you got em', flaunt em' and trust me girl, you got em'!" Miley says enthusiastically and Demi laughs, eyeing herself in the mirror gleefully as she gives a little twirl. "You better be getting this dress."

Demi bites her lips, her joyful expression quickly evaporating. "I can't. I payed rent this month so it's much too expensive." The corners of her lips tug into a wan smile. " Besides, we're shopping for you."

Without another word, the brunette turns to the opposite direction. Miley's eyes linger on the girl with a hint of annoyance before her eyes become calculating and a ploy is formed in her devious mind.

"All done?" She asks and Demi nods, sorrow evident in her doe eyes at the thought of leaving behind such an exquisite dress. "Good."

Demi's eyebrows crease in confusion and Miley smirks, gathering the dress Demi had tried on just a few brief moments ago into her arms and sauntering to the front desk. Wordlessly, she flashes the credit card Hannah had so graciously left at her disposal and flashes a pearly white smile to the cashier before returning to the dark-haired brunette looking at her with a mix of amazement and disbelief.

"I-What?" Demi breathes softly; her amazement thickening as her boss displays her newly purchased dress in her arms. She grips the bag as if she feared it would disappear in any upcoming moment and this whole fiasco was nothing but a dream.

"You've helped me countless times since I met you and I've got one hell of a stubborn streak." Miley counters, her lips uniting to form a smirk. "Think of it as an official peace offering, a mending of the fences if you will for all the times you've had to deal with my bitchiness and lack of poor judgement."

Demi shakes her head amusedly, a breathless laugh spewing out of her mouth as she looks at the once glacial, intimidating, hotheaded woman she had never been able to completely figure out. "Thank you." She murmurs gratefully.

"That word again." Miley warns jokingly, waggling her finger at her scoldingly. She loops her arms into Demi's and leads her to the direction of the exit, the other hand rubbing her stomach. "I don't know about you but I could do with fries and an extra cheesy burger, you?"

As if to prove the truthfulness of her statement, Miley's stomach growls loudly and Demi giggles, a hand rising to cover her mouth to resist bursting out in laughter in the middle of the mall as Miley's laughter quickly blends in with hers.

"Cheesy burger and fries sounds great." Demi quips, having gotten used to the other woman's sudden absurd fetish for all things greasy and assosciated with junk food; Hannah had acquired many things since her trip in Paris, but the voracious appetite she had developed still marvels her no matter how many times she witnesses it.

She hadn't been kidding when she had said her trip had been life changing, Demi muses to herself, not daring to have her thoughts revealed to the outside world.

* * *

The next morning Nick wakes with a heavy feeling weighing down on his shoulders, a reflection of uneasiness at the pit of his stomach and his dark eyes laced with dullness only a few years of pain and an endless amount of inner conflict can bring.

He goes through the motions of his daily routine blankly, as if he were a ghost and its on this particular day that he holds the belief that he is one, that he masks his true emotions, depriving the world from seeing the turmoil that brews in his heart, soul and mind and becomes a shell of the man everyone knows him to be, has grown accustomed to seeing, and is so fond of. He grabs a hold of his keys situated on his dresser, dangling them absentmindedly and before he knows it his feet have padded to the kitchen, ignoring the pitiful looks of those around him and the shrill silence he is met with as the current occupants of the room acknowledge his presence.

"Daddy?" Charlotte whispers, shyly coming forward and Nick's strong knees come in contact with the floor, bending to her level as she cups his face, providing the comfort she knew her father needed the only way she knew how.

He bites back a sob as her small little hands circle around him, her petite little head falling in the crook of his neck, his nose getting tangled in her long curly brown hair. Her embrace wraps around him and makes a breakthrough of light into the fog of darkness lurking around him and he cherishes this moment, inertly shaking his head at the insane doubt he had once held when he originally discovered Charlotte was coming into his life. He had felt such a surge of love and affection for his mother despite the elements of his past life constantly tearing him down and guarding his fragile, broken heart that he wasn't sure he could transfer that intense love towards his daughter, fulfill her needs, be the father that she deserved to have.

As she intertwines her small fingers into his he is proven wrong, his adoration and love for her escalating to a point he hadn't even known existed. She kept him moving, inspired him to keep living with her compassion, bubbly spirit and kindred smile and he sends a prayer to the forces above every day for having his daughter turn out to be the way she is.

He kisses her forehead, nuzzling his nose against hers affectionately before slowly rising and heading straight for the door, ignoring the intense gaze of his wife piercing against his back and sharply landing into his heart.

He can't pay her no mind. Not today, not tonight, because he can't be mind-fucked by her today, can't risk falling into her advances when his vulnerability was at its core, where every strong part of him wavered and his weakness shone through for the world to see. He climbs in his audi, switches on the ignition and gets lost in his thoughts as he swerves on to the road.

It feels like forever instead of the mere minutes it had taken to travel to the destination he knew he was needed the most and he steps out of his car, his emotions becoming more livid, heightened as he opens the door to the house he had spent the majority of his life in; the life he had before Charlotte, before Hannah, before hope in the world and in himself was handed to him.

"Nick."

Nick smiles slightly, pulling the dark-eyed curly haired boy in front of him in an embrace. "Frankie. Hey man, how is she?"

"Not well." The twelve year old bites his lip, his face crumpling into one of worry as it did every year on this particular date. "I hate seeing her this way."

Nick sighs in sympathy. " I know." He steps into the house, shoving his fingers into his pockets. "No boy deserves to see their mom in this way, take a stroll or something. I got it from here."

"You sure?" Frankie asks apprehensively and Nick smiles warmly at him, ruffling his brown wavy hair with his fingers.

"Aren't I always?" Nick semi-kids, wrapping a tender arm around him. "It's what brothers are for, right?"

Frankie flashes him a grateful smile, coming to his side to give him an earnest hug before stepping back and walking out the open door.

Nick's painful gaze lingers on after him until he forcefully steps further into the house, drowning in the memories that enveloped him with each step, feeling the pain hit him like a tonne of bricks as if every painful moment he had experienced in his years before adulthood was occurring before his eyes all over again.

He pauses, leaning against the doorframe as his eyes land upon the curly haired woman sitting in the center of her room, lost in space as her eyes dejectedly stare out the window, her hands clenched tightly together as her cool façade began to get weaker and weaker.

"Mom." He calls out softly, and she raises her eyes to meet him. Her eyes springing to life as they meet his.

"Nick." Denise mumbles, her posture becoming a bit more relaxed as he approaches her, the empty spot on the chair beside her forming a slight dip as his weight falls on to it, his hand grasping her knee. "What are you doing here?"

"Joe and Kevin are on their way." He replies, effectively ignoring the latter of his mother's sentence.

Denise sighs, shaking her head sadly. " I wish you all would quit taking time out of your hectic schedule to come to my rescue. I am fine. It happened years ago."

"Just because it happened years ago doesn't mean it doesn't hurt all the same." Nick snaps, his eyes softening as his mother's dark brown eyes fill with unshed tears. " I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out like that."

"I know you didn't." Denise mutters, her hand resting on his. " But you are right. It does hurt all the same, and I shouldn't deny you guys the opportunity of grieving alongside me. I forget sometimes that as much as this day affects me, it affects each and every one of you too."

Nick nods mutely, drawing in a breath he hadn't known he had been holding. "He's a spitting image of him."

"I only expected it." Denise's eyes water, her voice thick with emotion. "I love Frankie as if he were my biological son, but each day proves to be harder and harder when I see the uncanny resemblance between the two growing, developing. Days like this and I can't even look at him, I haven't spoken a word to him all morning. Is he okay?"

"He's fine." Nick is quick to reassure his mother, as she becomes restless worry. " He hasn't shared much with me, but he's fine, he gets it. His only concern is you."

"Even at a young age he puts others before himself, just like his father." She cries, a sob emitting from her throat and Nick hardens, his stiff hands turning soft as he pulls his mother into his embrace, drawing imaginary circles around her shoulder as she releases every pent up emotion she held within her.

His teeth digs into his lips sharply, willing himself to be strong, willing himself to not succumb to the emotions quickly crawling up to the surface and that would further spiral his mother into a destructive mess.

* * *

Miley wracked her brain for any assumptions that can correctly chalk up Nick's odd behavior this morning. He was so timid, guarded on the brink of falling off of an emotional cliff and while she had already previously seen him in such a state (flashback to the drunken episode a couple of nights ago), it seemed worse, edgier, and darker somehow. In that split moment she was witnessing the scene of a man struggling an inner battle that he had been fighting his whole life, a shell of the man she knew desperately sinking into the tight realms of despair, anguish and a sort of built up resentment that only many years worth of experience can bring. In that scene, she witnessed a reflection of herself, recognized the defeated look she had often wore in the primal moments of her life and knew that it had taken him every bit of restraint he had inside of him to be strong and not break down in front of his daughter, to be a warrior as he often is through each situation and complexity that comes his way.

However her concern is built upon why he felt this way? What had drove him towards this feeling? Why had today struck a nerve so deep within him. Had it been because of her? Hannah? She's read her book cover to cover, word for word within the last few hours and it mentioned nothing, didn't reveal anything other than the confirmal of the benefit gala Nick and Hannah attended annually and Hannah's obvious disdain and increasing boredom of the event itself. Nothing that could remotely explain Nick's odd behavior. She flings the useless notebook out of her vision, frustration hitting her wildly as a sense of annoyance washes over her. That damn thing never exposed her to the things she really wanted to know, never obtained the answers that she so desperately seeked.

Sighing, she wills herself to become composed as a knock sounds at her door and fights the urge to eagerly race to the door, and look into those pools of brown eyes that she had been craving to see since he had abruptly left this morning. His eyes lured her in and as frightening as it is his ability to elicit feelings within her that she had never thought she could experience in her life within the short length of time she had known him, what terrifies her the most is just how quickly she has become addicted to it, his eyes, _him_, he was like a drug she absolutely couldn't get enough of.

Hands on the verge of trembling in anticipation, she opens the door, disappointment filling her as she is met with Demi's smiling face on the other side.

She looks beautiful she'll admit, her eyes gleaming in the dress Miley herself had purchased for her, snugly hugging all her curves and her makeup enhancing the beautiful features her personal assistant had been blessed with however she wasn't him, she didn't obtain the stubble of hair on her chin, the barely there adorable freckles on his cheeks and those untameable wild curls that she constantly dreamed of raking her hands through. She wasn't Nick.

"Let's finish up this beautification shall we?" Demi exclaims cheerfully as she is granted further access into the room, although Miley can sense that her cheerfulness is a little off, that an undertone of sincere concern is laced within her speech.

She's worried about him too, that much is evident.

Miley nods solemnly, boldly stepping out of her robe and accepting the plastic adorning her gown of the night, the attire she would be wearing to the gala tonight as a stand in for Hannah. A light blue taffeta mermaid dress showered in beads covered her sun kissed skin all through the top to the bottom of the skirt. It's fairytale sweetheart neckline and beaded straps had the ability to turn heads of anyone she happened to come in contact with as it enhanced the appeal of her supple breasts without offering too much exposure in an un-lady like fashion and the fabric clung to her like the dress had been expertly designed for her and her alone as it accentuated her curves beautifully, a peeping lace inside leading to a small train that pooled to the floor elegantly.

Her makeup was soft and delicate as opposed to the dramatic flair Hannah often wore and as Demi gently unclasped the rolls in her hair, her brunette hair fell to one shoulder in soft ringlets, only enhancing her natural beauty. She glances at herself in the mirror with satisfaction. Everything about her screamed simple, light and sophisticated and she reveled in it. She looks more like herself, her true form than the devious, manipulative temptress she was impersonating and she sought to keep it that way. The more distant she felt from the explosive character that is Hannah, the better.

"It's official, you look breathtaking in everything." Demi mentions in awe and Miley grins, her cheeks reddening; she had never been able to successfully respond to a compliment.

"I try." Miley jokes, her demeanor quickly transforming into one of timidness as she fists a piece of her dress. "I doubt Nick thinks the same way." She mumbles, thinking her statement had fallen unto deaf ears.

"Nick?" Demi questions puzzled and Miley tenses, deliberately berating herself. Why had she opened her mouth?

"We should get going." Miley's quick to say, hoping that Demi's complying behavior will prevail as always. She was _wrong. _

"You've developed feelings for him, haven't you?" Demi states more so then questions bravely. "I can see it, infact I've seen it for quite some time now."

Miley keeps her back turned, not daring to turn around and face the woman opposite her who was clearly observant and able to see through everything she resisted to admit to herself. "Why haven't you said anything?"

"It wasn't my place, it still isn't and as much as there is a risk of facing your temper, my job is keeping this family together, and my loyalty is tied to Charlotte. She has been through so much already."

"I would never hurt her." Miley breathes, her voice catching at the mere thought of even harming the bright, spirited child that had wormed her way into her heart.

"You never have, not physically, anyway but emotionally and you sure as hell have hurt Nick in every way that counts." Demi shoots back, and Miley releases a breath, desperate to tell the truth, infuriated with the constant bitterness she received due to Hannah's carelessness. "But Nick was at his happiest when he was with you, and in just a few days I have seen a change in him, a transformation in the form of his former self and it's all because of you. You're the worst thing for him but you're also the best."

"I don't want to hurt him." At her pointed look, Miley continues. " Again. I don't want to cause him any more pain. I just want him to experience true joy for the first time in his life."

"I know." Demi responds and Miley's cobalt eyes raise to meet hers inquisitively.

"You do?"

"Your different." Demi announces, peering at her curiously. "Your compassionate and kind. Your friendly and humble, you let people in as opposed to keeping them at bay and there's a certain light, love in your eyes that I haven't seen in all the time that I have known you. You have a strength and desire to help people that you hadn't had when you left. Even your style has radically differed. It's like you're an entirely different human being, although we all know that is physically and genetically impossible."

Not so impossible, Miley thinks, however her words remain unsaid.

"Your everything they have ever wanted." Demi concedes and Miley gulps thickly.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I'm wholeheartedly convinced, despite everything, your feelings towards him aren't a one way street." Demi tells her encouragingly, a soft hand gripping her shoulder in encouragement. "He fell for you once, and if this persona you have adopted is genuine there's no doubt in my mind that he'll fall for you again."

Miley bites her lip, nodding mutely before spinning around to face her.

"Thank you."

"That word." Demi teases with raised eyebrows, causing Miley to roll her eyes. "Not so fun when you're on the other side huh?"

"Yeah yeah." She grumbles, smiling as Demi tumbles into laughter. "Do we really have to go to this thing? I doubt Nick will even show up."

"He will." Demi says knowingly, her face becoming crestfallen. "You and I both know he wouldn't miss this event for the world, no matter how much it hurts."

Just as Miley is about to open her mouth to question her further, her eyes twinkling at the prospect of discovering just what had been tormenting Nick so gravely, a honking fills the air.

"That must be the limo." Demi smiles sadly. " Ready?"

"I guess." Miley mumbles, picking up her clutch and following the brunette out the door.

* * *

Nick stands against the railing, dwelling in the night air surrounding him, clouding around him and easing his mind, putting every previous thought he had harbored since his arrival at the gala. He experiences these emotions every year and it seems as though every year, his pain is only magnified. He wonders when the pain will ever stop, when it all gets easier, if it _ever _gets easier. He wonders when he will ever receive true peace, in his past, present and future.

His contemplative thoughts come to a halt as the sweet scent of honey and jasmine fill his nostrils, a smooth voice rasping in his ear. The hairs at the back of his neck stand in alert, his body flaming about with recognition. Her soft hand braces itself on his shoulder and he inhales thickly at the reaction his body instantly receives just by her touch.

He had successfully managed to avoid her for the past two days, evade her intense gaze and remained by her side momentarily as their paths united to walk alongside each other for the red carpet, take some pictures, before he disappeared amongst the crowd. He couldn't handle her presence, not with these new feelings brewing inside of him that he couldn't begin to comprehend, did not want to succumb to. However, he knew he couldn't avoid her much longer. She was the lioness and he was her prey that she determinedly fought to obtain at her disposal.

"It's a little chilly out here, you must be freezing." Is the first thing she says and he shakes his head slowly.

"I like it. The feel of the breeze against my skin is smoothening." His voice sounds rough, even to him. " I needed the fresh air. Got a little claustrophobic in there."

"Phobia of people I see? How ironic considering your surrounded by a mass amount of people on a daily basis." She quips with a raised brow and against his better judgement, the corners of his mouth tug into a smile.

"Newly acquired trait."

"Sure." Miley mumbles sarcastically and he chortles, he doesn't know how he manages to even find it in him to do so, but he does. She slowly turns him around to face him, her hands slipping into his rough, cold hands and he eyes them questioningly, his confusion running deeper as her hands caress his cheek, running over every contour of his face. "Your distraught about something."

"I'm fine." He breathes, desperately trying to hold on to the hard exterior he had created for himself since he woke up this morning.

"Is it me? " Miley asks shakily, a flash of anger swirling at her eyes at the thought of Hannah having done something to wound this incredible specimen before her once more. " Have I done something?"

"Contrary to belief, my life doesn't revolve around you, Hannah." Nick responds harshly, his icy tone whipping her against the face and he winces as he spots the hurt look in her eyes, the sadness he had created lurking about amongst them.

He has the upper hand, she's pudding in his hands, and despite the initial joy he would have normally received in causing her any inkling of pain that she had caused him, he's filled with nothing but regret, guilt.

"I- I shouldn't have snapped at you like that." Nick mumbles, his head falling to the floor.

Miley smiles wanly, placing two fingers underneath his chin to have him look her squarely in the eye. "It's nothing, I've gotten quite used to the 'tude." She kids, hoping that her carefree and mellow nature will soften him up, dissipate some of the pain he was encountering.

"If you think this is bad you should've seen me in my teen years." Nick snorts.

"Can't picture you as the rebellious type, although I wouldn't mind hearing about it, that is if you're ready and willing to share that with me."

Her eyes are regarding him intensely, as if trying to analyze every part of him, look straight into his soul and he doesn't know what takes control of him, his lips are opening and his voice is registering in his ears and words start spewing out of his mouth as if he were in a trance, powerless beyond measure.

"My dad was the cause of my rebellious nature." Nick reveals, his body tensing as his jaw clenches. Miley squeezes his hand and he unconsciously softens, finding the ability to speak once more. "He was a doctor, he loved to help people and when he couldn't he locked himself in his room and refused to come out, mourning the loss of his patients. The hospital was literally his home, he spent more time there than he did with us and I understood it, how could I not? His time was spent saving people, helping people restore their loved ones, remain with those they held dear in their heart."

"What happened?" Miley whispers, hanging on to his every word and Nick flutters his eyes shut in pain.

"Fewer and fewer patients were saved and frequent deaths were announced. I was 12 when my parents hit a rough patch, my father spiraling into a depression. I was 13 and a half when he left. He never said anything, never even took his belongings, just dashed out the door and never came back, leaving me alone to deal with my distressed mother and my older brothers, growing up without a fatherly figure, my brothers became the dominate male figures in my life but it wasn't the same. I wished for him for every birthday, concert, ball game but he never showed, never even wrote, it was like he had never existed, we meant nothing to him and eventually my hope died, eventually, wishes for him came to an end, letters written for him were shredded and a hole in my heart lurked where his presence had once been."

"Nick."

Nick shook his head, his emotions going haywire.

"I never heard from him, not after my adolescence, not after I blurred my way through college, nothing and just when I was ready to completely let go, I get a phone call informing me of his death. He died of cancer this date, seven years ago." His teary eyes land on hers. " I hadn't even known he had been diagnosed with cancer, he certainly didn't have it when he was a part of our lives. It tore us to pieces, but the one person it affected the most was my mother. It destroyed her. I've never seen her so devastated in my life. "

Miley's hands close on his own, a tear slowly sliding down her cheek as his mouth opened once again. "You don't have to keep going, Nick."

"I can't keep this in any longer." Nick whispers brokenly, his chest heaving. "I truly did feel claustrophobic in there, today. Witnessing the testimonies of the cancer patients, hearing their stories, standing by as they displayed snippets of their life for a moment of recognition, everything just hit too close to home, it was too much for me to bear, especially since he left us a miniature version of himself."

Miley looks at him confused and he elaborates, a tear dropping from his long, beautiful lashes. " You know Frankie, my little brother. He's twelve and the product of a one-night stand during the rough patch my parents had gone through. He's the reason why _he _left. He'd found out his woman of the night had fallen pregnant and flew out to North Carolina to see her, and when she'd died during the delivery he didn't have the heart to leave him behind. He also didn't want to spare us the heartache, save my mother from the constant reminder of his adultery in their marriage so he stayed out there with him, raising him on his own, being the father we've always wanted him to be. We knew the moment our eyes landed on him at the memorial service and once mom found out he was orphaned, she took him in as her own and treated him like he was biologically hers, despite the lurch of pain she received with each passing day. It was harder for us though, to accept him as a brother, to treat him as an equal, knowing his birth cost us a father. I love him to death now, though. In fact, I can't imagine my life without him. Sometimes though, when I look at him, I feel resentment, fury, a bitterness that I can't hide."

"That doesn't make you a bad brother, Nick. That makes you human." Miley murmurs softly, her heart aching for him. "It's natural to feel that way, you had been abandoned for the one person you seeked approval from, desired to be recognized by, sought affection from, your not a monster for harboring those kind of emotions, especially if Frankie reminds you so deeply of him."

"He's innocent, he doesn't deserve it."

"Neither did you." Miley reminds him, kissing his exposed shoulder affectionately. She hesitantly wraps an arm around his shoulder, pulling him into an embrace and she watches him jerk, frozen before slowly, his arms circle themselves around her waist, her hand digging into his curls, her fingertips scraping his scalp soothingly.

Before she knows it his body is shaking uncontrollably, sobs are emitting from his throat and he unfolds, all the emotions he held within him emerging from his body. Her hand rakes against his back in comfort, pressing kisses to the side of his head.

He's so strong, hearty and beautiful both inside and out that he's mesmerizing. He's endured so much, experienced so much at such a young age and despite it all, he was able to overcome it, become an amazing man, with great respectable morals, personality and a heart so huge filled to love even the wickedest of people and she's hit with a powerful force of hatred and disdain for his father, for Hannah, for every human being that had hurt him in any way, shape or form. It's in that moment that she a revelation sinks in and she understands, she gets it, she gets him. He's a mirror reflection of herself.

Two dark flames bound together due to their mutual understanding of pain, loss, grief and together, in the darkness of the night, they remain wrapped in each other, grieving together, neither individuals daring to let go.

Neither noticed the dark haired individual lurking about in the shadows, a couple distances away watching the scene with a peak of interest.

* * *

**AN- **Oh God! _Long chapter! _I honestly hadn't intended on taking the story in this direction but my muse wouldn't have it any other way so there we have it. I didn't even have time to place any future snippets in! Well a lot w as revealed, we find out a little more about Nick and his morbid past and Nick and Miley take a step forward in their relationship! Review, review, review, and tell me all about it! Any suggestions for the next chapter? I want to hear them!


	7. Chapter 6: Dive

**An- **Thought I should update a little earlier this time! Love that you all loved the reviews, and am excited at the prospect of seeing reviews from new commenters! I love getting input from you all and admiration always fills my heart up for you guys when you all remark about the chapter. I am a perfectionist, and it is nice to know that my perfectionist obsession satisfies you all. I have noticed a deflation in reviews last chapter though so I hope I haven't lost too much of my touch or allure when it comes to this story, so let me know if at any point of the story if you guys are dissatisfied or anything closely related and I will work on it! My goal is to make you all happy, by whatever means necessary! Enjoy!

**Chapter 6: Dive **

'_And ever since we first met, I knew that, I knew that I was ready to take that dive…' _

"Char?" Nick questioned to the empty room, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion as he doesn't catch a flash of curly brunette hair anywhere amongst the room.

"Yes?" Charlotte whispered politely, not being one to refuse a call from either one of her parents. Nick smiles at the loud response, it's obvious she had intended to be quiet so as to not be found but the girl doesn't have a quiet nature in her body and he absolutely adores it.

He crouches down, his knees falling to the floor before peeking underneath the bed and sure enough, meeting a small pair of blue eyes eyeing him pensively. He fights the urge to chuckle at her deflated look. "Charlotte? What are you doing down here?"

She huffs, accepting his extended arm before reluctantly coming out. " I don' wanna go to school."

"I thought you liked school," Nick reminds her, drawing the petite girl into his lap.

"I don't." Charlotte frowns, picking at her bright pink pajama bottoms before tightly wrapping her arms around Nick's neck. "I wanna stay here with you and mommy."

"Charlotte." Nick sighs, he hated when she got this way. It was rare and fleeting but it touched a part of his heart all the same. "We'd love to spend more time with you, you know that, but you've missed too much school already. You've been out cold for a week and your all better now." He reminds her.

Charlotte had suffered a nasty case of the flu that literally had his heart beat racing, fingers trembling, and unable to concentrate at work. It had broken his heart seeing her so weak, unresponsive, in pain and not being able to do anything to take it all away, make her feel better and he can't help sweeping his hand around the whole of her face, a sigh of relief leaving his lips as he feels her normal temperature skin.

Never hurts to take precautions. Just incase.

"No I'm not." Charlotte denies, sputtering out a fictional cough and he laughs, shaking his head in amusement at her antics.

"As cute as you are, I'm not falling for that one again." Nick replies, brushing the soft tendrils of stubborn curls in front of her face behind her ear. " Your going to school and your making up with Mindy, I bet she really misses you and its not fair to keep people feeling that way when you have the option of making people feel better. Think about how you would feel if me or your mother went away for a long time without seeing you."

"I don't like it." Charlotte glares at the thought and Nick kisses her forehead, his little girl is cute as a button but a spitfire when challenged or in a disagreeable mood, a trait she definitely acquired from her mother.

"Exactly, just like Mindy doesn't."

Charlotte bites her lip, before nodding. "Okay, but I'm not sharing teddy"

Hannah had given her that stuffed teddy bear last week to uplift her strength and overcome her sickness and it's been at her side ever since. She refuses to go anywhere without him, apparently, school included.

"Charlotte." Nick scolds softly, fighting the urge to laugh at his dramatic princess. Mindy is her best friend, whatever falling out they had will be repaired within the first glance of seeing each other and he knows it.

"She's on timeout daddy." Charlotte claims seriously, waggling her finger at him and he shakes his head, gently setting her on to the floor.

"So will you if you don't get dressed for school in the next 3.5 seconds."

"That's okay, I don' wanna go to school."

"Charlotte!" Nick chuckles, throwing her over his shoulder and smiling as she squeals in response before walking towards the direction of her dresser. " You can't get yourself out of this one so don't even bother."

"Fine." Charlotte mumbles, illiciting another laugh from her father. " Can I kiss mommy before I go?"

"You know you can't see her right now, char bear." Nick gently answers, seeing her bright blue eyes instantly fill with sadness. "She's sick and we can't risk you getting the flu all over again, especially with how contagious it seems."

"You don't have it."

"I have super powers, princess. My powers are immune to any form of sickness."

"Daddy." Charlotte giggles, patting his cheek affectionately before frowning at the thought of her mother experiencing the same deadly emotions she had felt last week in her bed. "I made her a get well card so she can feel better, I don' like her being sick…will you give it to her?"

Nick crouched down to her level, his heart once again swelling with pride in his daughter, as he gets lost in her beautiful aquamarine eyes. She's so caring and thoughtful and creative and he honestly doesn't know what he's done to be rewarded with such a charismatic, sweet, heart-warming spitfire of a daughter. She's his number one accomplishment in life and despite the mixed and complicated feelings he has towards his wife he remains eternally grateful to her for giving birth to this incredible specimen.

"Tell you what if you can get out of those jammies and dressed before Demi gets here, I'll personally deliver it to her myself and add in that you love her and miss her. Deal?"

"Deal." Charlotte agrees, smiling widely before lifting up her pinky finger to him. Nick chuckles at the adorable look on her face as his big pinky intertwines with her much, much, much smaller one before she takes off in the direction of her bed and presents him with a messily folded paper with that scribbly writing of hers spelling 'mommy' on the front page.

"Don't you forget, daddy." Charlotte warns and he smirks.

"Get out of here, pretty girl." He exclaims, softly pushing her in the direction of her closet once more. She rolls her eyes, although there is that familiar glint of happiness swirling around in her eyes and he watches her analyze her whole closet in search of the perfect outfit to wear and he's instantly bombarded with this immense fear for the future. His daughter counts on material products so much already and at the prospect of her in her teen years, an immediate sense of dread washes over him; if she's anything like her mother it will only worsen.

She settles on a white loose top, red skirt and skin colored tights with brown moccasins to complete the look and firmly refuses his help in getting dressed.

_I can do it all by myself, _she says, _and Demi will do my hair 'cuz no offense daddy but your no good. _

He scoffs at the notion, but doesn't push it any further and in record time Demi's knocking on the door and poking her head in and Charlotte looks up in satisfaction.

"Ready to go?" Demi questions cheerfully and Charlotte nods, grabbing her backpack before approaching her father once again.

"Love you, daddy." She exclaims sweetly and Nick's smile grows wider at the sound. He hears it so often but it never ceases to amaze him, mesmerize him what the ability of those three words coming out of her mouth every day affects him. It's quite honestly one of the moments throughout his life that he looks forward to and he vows to keep it that way.

"I love you too, princess." Nick replies, ruffling her messy locks. " And I won't forget." He adds, causing her to grin before she accepts Demi's hands and exits the room with a final wave.

Nick takes a breath, taking a minute to compose himself before heading to the medicine cabinet and grabbing a tray of medicinal products and a cup of water, hesitantly walking in the direction of his wife's room. He feels a rush of emotions penetrate through his veins all at once and as he reaches her door, his heartbeat accelerates.

Honestly, he doesn't know how to approach her anymore, how to act around her ever since that surprising night at the charity dinner when they had embraced and spent the night in each others arms, basking in the comfort that only she could provide for him, eased by her warm nature, supportive words and encouraging gestures. She had _inspired _him, in more ways than one, in fact it seemed like she truly understood him, like she could relate to the conflicted feelings he harbored inside and she could relate to him, his emotions.

It seemed as if she genuinely cared for him and as wrong as it is, that she had managed to sink her claws in to him again and managed to pave the way for herself into his heart once more, a thrill runs through him at the thought. He found himself liking the prospect of her caring for him, liking the prospect of her in general and the woman she was gradually convincing him she had become. She's fighting for him with full force, and he's finding himself anticipating the ride, willing her to not stop.

There's an undeniable pull to her that he can't ignore anymore, nor does he want to.

Once knocking hadn't drawn any responses, he kicks the door open as he maneuvers himself into her room and sets the tray on the miniature table, taking a seat at the edge of her bed. Napkins are sprawled all over the floor, and her blanket is halfway off of her pale body and she's curled up in a ball, teeth chattering as a trail of sweat begins to make its way down the whole of her body.

He can't help himself. Acting on instinct and principle alone, he gathers the blanket in his hands and softly sprawls it over every inch of skin that belonged to her and before he knows it, as if she had beckoned him to her, he leans in, his palms caressing her burning cheek before his lips brush her forehead sweetly.

He can't fight the corners of his mouth lifting upwards as she sighs in content, her hand inching towards the warmth of his hand. She's flawless, enchanting, even sporting an illness and he's once again taken aback by how absolutely gorgeous his wife is. Her beauty never wavers, rolls of in waves and heightens every time he is around her.

"Hannah." He whispers, willing her to wake as an overwhelming urge to see her beautiful cerulean eyes form in the pit of his stomach.

Her lips edge downwards in a frown and a grunt escapes her lips in frustration. "I hate that name." She moans disapprovingly.

"Don't shoot the messenger." He teases amusedly, " But I've always gotten the impression you were head over heels for your name."

Her eyes flicker open automatically and her cerulean eyes are peering at his in alarm, settling on his raised eyebrows and lopsided smile.

"Nick?" She whispers cautiously, blinking rapidly. The flu doesn't come with hallucinations does it?

"Yeah." He chuckles softly, loving the way his name rolls of her tongue. Even with an illness she still manages to make his name sound so sensual, erotic, mesmerizing with the breathy way she says it. He clears his throat, compelling himself to not go even further with his thoughts. "How are you feeling?"

"Being sick sucks." Miley whines, the moment a dry cough escapes her lips causing her to exhaustedly slump backwards unto her pillows.

"It does doesn't it?" He fires back jokingly, chuckling as she glares at him in response. "Here, this should help."

He passes her a glass of cool water and two prescription pills, watching as she gulps it all down and winces as the cool water meets her itchy throat. Her eyes fly to his once she feels his fingers on her forehead and he smiles at her slightly.

"Seem's like your fever is getting tired of you." He jokes, "Your not as hot as you initially were. You'll be back to normal in no time."

"Thank God." She murmurs, making him laugh. She smiles at the sound, its rare and minimal that she ever hears such a sound emit from his lips. He's a whole other person when he laughs. There's a carefree glint in his eyes she never sees except around Charlotte, the crease in his forehead relaxes and his smile reaches his eyes, making him look all the more handsome, enticing. A thrill runs through her each time she is able to make him laugh, smile, anything that makes her look at him in a new light, allows her to see through the barriers he had formed and into the incredible human being that is Nicholas Grey.

"Charlotte sends her love and this." Nick says, grabbing a sealed envelope with Hannah's name scribbled on the front in that girly way of hers.

She smiles, lifting herself up slowly before tearing it open, her heart swelling as she reads the card.

Nick watches tears gather in her eyes and he smiles. "She's every bit your daughter, trust me. She made it clear I was a dead man if I didn't deliver that to you."

"No." Miley replies thickly. "She's yours. She's genuine and sweet and caring and passionate. She's a miniature you and honestly, I'm so grateful. "

Nick's eyes fill with guilt. "Hannah."

Miley's hands intertwine with his, silently preventing any further words. "No, Nick. You were right. I'm cruel and vindictive, manipulative, selfish and a horrible mother. I catered to my needs, more then my family's, my daughter's and I'm so thankful that you were there, to keep her grounded, level-headed and keep her from falling into my footsteps despite everything. You stuck with me, even when I constantly broke your heart and dragged you down. I know it was all for the sake of Charlotte but I admire you for it. You're a warrior Nick, and because of it so is Charlotte."

"I may have done a good job raising her and entrenching values into her head but I've never been able to completely make her happy. Lately nothing but happiness radiates off of her and I know it has everything to do with you. "

"You do?" Miley questions hopefully.

"Were you not listening? Dead man, remember?" Nick answers to which she grins. "Your all she ever talks about, Hannah. You may have neglected her in the past but you sure aren't now and even I can see it. I shouldn't have said those words to you the other day, that was uncalled for."

"It was necessary." Miley says, dismissing his apology as his words about not wanting Charlotte to be like her register through her mind. "I needed a wakeup call and you gave it to me. Infact, I respect you for always being honest with me, even when I've been nothing but the opposite to you."

Guilt tugs at her as she realizes that was a feat she and Charlotte shared in common. Impersonating his wife isn't exactly an honorable or truthful trait either. A shiver ran through her at the possibility of being any bit similar to the woman she has grown to detest with every fiber of her being.

Suddenly, there is a dip in the bed and Miley looks on in confusion as Nick's figure is at her side, his arm coming forward to draw her closer to him before his arm situates itself comfortably around her waist, as if it belonged there. She tenses in his arms.

"What are you doing?" Miley asks breathlessly.

"Your trembling and I'm putting a stop to it. Body heat works miracles." Nick says and Miley melts, allowing herself to relax in his embrace and snuggle into his side. Her leg intertwines with his and a warm hand falls upon his chest. She breathes in his scent, all manly, and seductive and so very Nick and she's sure if it were up to her she could live in this moment forever.

"Why?" She asks inquisitively, her eyes flashing with curiosity and his gaze is smoldering, intense and she feels as if he's looking straight into her soul.

"I owe you one."

"Thank you." She mumbles lazily, her eyes drowsily beginning to close.

His lips make contact with her naked shoulder and she drowns in him, his embrace and this beautiful moment that she knows will forever be imprinted in her mind. It was always her taking care of others, their needs, yet for the first time she got a snippet of what it felt like, to be cared for, looked after for the first time and as new and refreshing it was, it was also terrifying.

It was then, in that moment, that she realized she was falling in love with the man that wasn't rightfully hers.

* * *

_Present _

Flashing lights, sirens blasting, Hannah fights her way through the mass of people uniting together watching the scene unfold. Her eyes are swirling with fury, fingers clenched and she stalks to the dark alley like a woman on a mission. She had not envisioned this turn of events and she absolutely despised surprises, couldn't she ever catch a break for once?

"You." She seethes angrily, eyeing him with a vengeance. "What were you thinking?!"

"I had no choice." He murmurs cowardly, eyes flashing with fear.

"I warned you not to hurt anybody. You were supposed to get in and get out unnoticed! What part of that mental concept did you not understand?"

"I wasn't expecting _her _there."

Hannah frowns in frustration, that dark haired look alike was really getting in the way of every single plan she had evacuated, it was highly annoying,

"I wasn't expecting you to fail." Hannah hisses furiously, " You guys have more in common than you think. Unfortunately for you, you were stupid enough to leave prints behind and precautionary steps are needed."

"Hannah-" The man protests weakly, however it had already been late. Hannah's hand rises, her finger on the trigger and she presses down on it, watching his form become lifeless right before her eyes.

She hated this part but he left her with no choice. She had never intended to murder him, in fact, all her life she had sought to avoid to do so, knowing the consequences, knowing how it felt, the pain, the burden a family had to carry when dealing with a loss of a family member. Knowing that with each act, each murder, her humanity was slipping further and further away from him and the sweet, carefree, hopeful woman she had once been was no more. He had left her with no choice.

Her phone flashes, the name Liam flashing on the screen boldly and her whole body freezes, her eyes bouncing left and right in terror as if he might be near, as if he might be watching, he was _always _watching. She screens his call and slams the phone on the ground, digging the heel of her boot into it. She watches it crumble to pieces in front of her with a mixture of emotions swarming her.

An ambulance passes by the alley and her whole body turns cold, a lingering sadness enveloping her as she thinks of the amount of blood she had discovered outside _his _house. Regret hits her harshly, she had never wanted this fate for him, for _them. _She had simply wanted to be free, to cut ties with Liam once and for all. She hadn't ever imagined that her freedom would cost their true happiness, that death would be a result of it.

* * *

**AN- **Damn! Another cliffhanger! I couldn't help it! So we see Nick and Miley becoming closer in the past and oh my _gosh _, Miley is falling for him! We also see some mystery in the future! Hannah killed somebody, there was blood outside Nick's house and an ambulance & who the hell is Liam? All will be revealed sooner or later ! Until next time! Merry Christmas to you all and a happy new year! Bless me with a present by reviewing what you guys think!


	8. Chapter 7: Worth the wait

**AN-** I know you all probably want to shoot me! I can't even begin to explain what has happened in these last couple of months. Basically, I have been grieving. I lost a friend coming into the year 2013. He was stabbed six times and it has taken me a while to really get over it. In fact, I still am not but I'm learning to deal, to cope and to not be so depressed about it. I hope you all can understand where I am coming from and do not take this tardiness in updates so strongly. I hope I did this chapter justice, I am doing my best.

**Chapter 7: Worth The Wait**

'_If I fall, if I break, if I lose myself in someone, if I give all I am…It'll be with you…'_

Miley stretched as she stirred, a blissful sigh escaping her luscious full lips. Her head fell against his solid, firm chest as she was pulled further and further into serenity by the sound of his heartbeat drumming into her ear. Never had she ever expected to be in this predicament, to be graced with such an opportunity yet here she was. It's both dangerously and morally wrong, her lying next to him, breathing in such close vicinity as him, chest to chest, legs intertwined. This is a farce, she tries to remind herself, this isn't real but as he draws her closer to him with a tug at her waist and nuzzles his head against her sun kissed skin affectionately she can't help but shove those thoughts aside and give in to her own desires, if only for a moment before he wakes and this moment is ripped away from her.

Her mind is bombarded with memories of the previous night and she flushes, her body quickly spreading wildfire with heat at the thought. She couldn't begin to express how she felt, how amazing it had felt to have him let her in, for him to open a part of himself to her so openly despite everything that had transpired between them, well Hannah. He had remained by her side through it all. She vaguely remembers him countlessly waking up in the middle of the night, traipsing to her bathroom door and returning with a moist cloth, pressing it against her burning skin to lessen her fever. She remembers his skin flush against hers, much like it was this exact moment as he carried her in his arms, holding her as if he couldn't imagine her in any other place but underneath his embrace. He hadn't slept a wink, preferring to be at her beck and call for however long she needed it and words failed to describe the immense rush of gratitude she held for him.

He's perfect, in every sense of the word and as her hand rises, brushing against his cheek tenderly, she comes up with the notion, once again that Hannah has no idea how incredibly lucky she is to have such an admirable husband at her side. She does nothing but discourage him, tear at the fragile parts of his soul, toy with every inch of his humanity and yet he continuously fights for her, stands by her, _loves _her. It's surreal the capacity to which this man loves his wife, even if given the circumstances, he wishes not to acknowledge it. She could only pray that she was doing him justice, giving him at least something close to what he deserved.

A falter in the cadence of his breathing, along with his hand slipping away from her waist results a sharp pang of sadness to tear through the whole of her body as she realizes this moment is quickly disappearing only to be engraved in her heart. He's waking up.

"Hi." She whispers thickly, as his beautiful brown eyes rest against hers.

"Hi." Nick murmurs softly, his fingertips drum against her neck and he fights his own elated moan at the sound of her breath hitching due to the feel of his fingers against her skin. He clears his throat. "Looks like your fever's gone down."

"What can I say? You did a good job scaring it off." Miley teases, her eyes glinting and Nick feels his heart skip a beat.

In all his years knowing his wife, she had _never _looked at him in such a way. It blew him away. He felt desired, wanted, appreciated, _loved _and it was something, along with his close proximity to her that he couldn't bear at the moment.

"Driving people away has always been something I'm good at." He responds, his eyes are fixated on anything but her face as her face falls.

"Nick."

"I should go." Nick says quickly, feeling like the walls were closing in on him. It was too much, all of it. He needed to escape into the safe confines of his bedroom, where everything made sense, where he wasn't as conflicted, where she didn't make him do the unthinkable and make him invoke feelings he had long since believed he had buried.

Her hand is quick to stop him, her hand intertwining with his and his eyes come to a close at the feeling. He had never noticed how warm her fingers were, they fit perfectly against his and produce electrifying tingles to rush through him instantly.

"Look at me." She pleads, it's desperate and urgent and he can't help but oblige her. He hates himself for it, however, feels all the hatred he feels for himself and every other emotion that comes close to it being shoved into the oblivion as he peers into her ocean-like eyes that appeared to be gazing straight into his soul.

"Thank you." Miley breathes, and he's absolutely spellbound by the sincerity in her voice. "For staying last night. For taking care of me. You constantly place others above yourself, me and I'm a fucking idiot for taking advantage of it all the time. You have always been there for me, even when I don't deserve it and you can argue that last night was your way of repaying me back for taking care of you during your drunken episode but we both know that you didn't need to do that. One moment of kindness towards you does not account for the gentleness you provided for me last night."

Nick swallows, his voice automatically being thick with emotion. "I never stopped being your husband, Hannah. I made those vows to you with every intention to honor them, even if it appears you stopped being my wife a long time ago."

"I'm trying, Nick."

"I know." Nick admits, as traitorous and deceitful as Hannah is, he believes her wholeheartedly. He can hear it in her voice, her actions, her words; it's all he's been able to think about since that moment he'd laid eyes on her in that scrumptious red dress.

"Go on a date with me." She blurts out and for a moment he's paralyzed in shock, that familiar paralysis winding its way around his body, it's grip increasing until finally he finds his breath and his eyes snap towards hers abruptly.

"What?" It couldn't be, he ultimately decides, but it was as clear as day. His _wife _had asked him out.

"Go on a date with me." Miley repeats fiercely. Her eyes are wide, her cheeks tinting in embarrassment and it was clear to Nick that she had not intended for that particular statement to be voiced aloud. Nonetheless she squares her shoulders and tilts her chin up in the air in confidence and he stares at her incredulously, completely at loss for words.

Confidence has always been a virtue of Hannah's, a trademark, but rather than using it for malicious or cunning circumstances as he was so accustomed to, she was using it to pursue a goal that she wanted. _Him. _She was fighting for him, and despite everything, a great part of him is moved by it.

That part of him is what he believes daringly encourages him to do what he does next.

"Seven o'clock." He says, withdrawing his hand from hers and stalking out the door. The door slams closed with a sharp _thud _and his hands are shaking tremendously, he lays against the closed door behind him in disbelief.

He's treading on thin ice, he knows. He shouldn't be so trusting of her, he shouldn't be letting her get to him but as he recalls the fear that had swirled in her eyes at the possibility of him refusing, as he distinctly remembers that flare of hope that had come alive in front of him, he knew he was powerless to her before he even declared the words.

/

Miley's heart swelled, pure joy taking complete control of every inch of her body as she spots Charlotte amidst the crowd of other children surrounding her. Charlotte's eyes were bright and twinkling as her eyes landed on her mothers, and it wasn't long before her lips stretched into a giant smile and she sped straight into the direction of her mothers arms.

"Mommy!" Charlotte cried, her arms tightly clasping around her mother's neck, her grip was tight as she hung on with her dear life and Miley's hand dove into her head full of brunette hair warmly. "You're all better!"

"Help in the form of a letter might've had something to do with my quick recovery." Miley prompts, giggling as Charlotte beamed at the words. "I figured we could meet up with Demi at the park and get some ice cream, whaddaya think? "

"You had me at park, mommy, ice-cream was a bonus. " Charlotte responds eagerly, her feet touching the ground as her mother sets her down with a laugh before quickly grasping her mothers hand and gently slipping it into her own. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, baby." Miley exclaims wholeheartedly, her heart furiously constricting in her chest as she realizes that she actually had, she had _missed _her. From her dark head full of hair to her tiny, petite toes, she missed every single thing about this exquisite three year old and it was then that she realized that she was too attached.

She had let her in, let them in, as rapid and immoral as it is, and the thought that she would soon part ways with these sudden important figures in her life absolutely petrified her. Someday, she would have to say goodbye. Someday she would have to let go.

To her. To _Nick. _

"Mommy?" Charlotte questions, eyeing her mother in nothing but concern and Miley blinks back the tears that had begun to gather.

"Sorry, baby girl." Miley laughs forcedly, her hands instantly cupping the side of Charlotte's vibrant cheek. "Mommy just doesn't like the thought of losing you, that's all."

"I'm wight here, mommy and I love you." Charlotte responds sweetly, her miniature hands situating themselves around her mother's waist to provide affection in the only way she could think of. "You won' lose me. Never ever."

Miley bites her lip, shaking her head swiftly and telling herself to get a grip before slowly gathering the young girl into the security of her arms. "I know baby, I know."

Her aching thoughts are placed on hold as Charlotte, upon a moment's silence, clears the heaviness in the air by chatting animatedly about what she had been taught at school, how disastrous and time consuming her day had been (in a three year old's wording of course) and furthermore catching her up on all that she had missed while she was held captive in her bed. It isn't long until voices of screaming children, barking dogs and the sound of water dropping against the pavement is heard thus alerting Miley that they had already traveled the short distance needed to get to the park.

Demi waves them over to her direction and both women laugh as Charlotte greets her shortly before excitedly speeding over to the jungle gym.

"How did your hot date go?" Miley smirks, as they take a seat on the park benches.

Ever since their trip to the mall the other day, her relationship with Demi had gotten much lighter. It turned out that they had a lot in common and had similar views on certain aspects both business wise and socially. It wasn't long before they established a friendship of some sort.

"Hot guy, horrible date."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It wasn't meant to be I guess." Demi smiles slightly. "Although I'm not entirely sure you share the same fate."

Miley's cheeks turn crimson at the knowing glint in Demi's eyes. "We're going on a date. Tonight."

"What?" Demi squeals and Miley grins, butterflies fluttering around in her stomach at the thought. It had been something she had been holding in all day, and it felt great being able to share the excitement with someone other than herself. "Oh my God!"

"Mind taking care of Charlotte? I know it's not in your job description and it's your day off but.."

"Of course!" Demi interrupts smiling widely. "I knew the dynamic between you two shifted, but to be honest, I didn't see this coming…. not for a while at least."

"Me neither, but… I'm looking forward to it. I know Nick is a complex guy and he has every reason to be" Miley begins, her heart hardening as fury pounds inside of her, her thoughts treading back to the woman she was impersonating. "But this is a chance. The golden opportunity I've been waiting for. I can't mess this up."

"I'm sure you won't." Demi smiles, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "He's giving you a shot and that's what really matters. Where are you taking him?"

"… I have no idea."

Demi raised an eyebrow. "You've been married to Nick for 4 and a half years and you know him better than anyone else…I'm sure you'll be able to think of something."

Miley smiled uneasily, averting her eyes as pure panic began to register throughout her body. Her face felt hot with tension and her mind reeled with agonizing thoughts. This date could be the multiple steps forward she had been waiting for or, if she didn't play her cards right, could downright be the end of her and every bit of progress she had made so far since she encountered her fake husband.

_Fuck, _she thought, _I'm screwed._

/

Nick's mind reeled as he buttoned the last of his black dress shirt. Giving himself a subtle once over in the mirror before exhaling as he realized just what it was that he was doing. A date with his wife.

The notion still sounded surreal to him, despite the fact that such an affair was a common occurrence between a man and his wife. He hadn't been on a date with his wife in almost two years, in fact, given everything that had happened in the past year he couldn't fathom ever arriving to this point in his life and yet here he was, preparing himself for one night with the woman who had essentially broken his heart and smashed it into smithereens.

He should be stoic, indifferent, it shouldn't matter to him but it does. His wife is _trying. _Just when he thought he had her all figured out, she turns around and does this and immediately his body is filled with anticipation, excitement, a rush that he hadn't experienced in so long. He hates her with every fiber of his being because of what she had done to him but yet again he's drawn to her, inexplicably, like a moth to a flame, he can't resist her.

He braces himself as he opens the door and maneuvers his way into the living room, his eyes immediately swiveling over to hers. She looks absolutely stunning, which is ironic considering she isn't wearing anything too extravagant. Her hair is sleek straight and shining as it cascades down her shoulders. She's wearing a black leather jacket with a black tank underneath and army skinny jeans. He realizes startingly, that she has ditched her common commodity of heels for the night and settled on a pair of black converses. Her face is void of makeup except for a layer of mascara to enhance her majestic sea of blue orbs, blush and lip gloss to further draw attention to her plump, full lips. The studs on the sides of her jacket where the shoulders are located pull the look together making her seem sort of edgier, exotic, confident.

It's a change, definitely a far cry from what he's used to but he likes it. She looks casual yet chic and not so overdone like usual. She appears relaxed, comfortable and totally in her element. If he wasn't looking forward to this night before, he sure was now.

"We match." Miley comments with a smile, taking in his black dress shirt, dark jeans and black converses. It looked striking with his complexion and heightened the chocolate of his eyes. Simple and casual but still appealing and sexy. Nick Grey, she figured, could pretty much pull of anything and as much as she melted at the sight of him and a tuxedo, she came to the conclusion that she liked this look on him better. It seemed more…_Nick. _

"You didn't exactly give me a dress code."

"I like it. It's very… you." Nick's eyebrows dance in amusement at the comment. "Besides, it's perfect for where we're going."

"And where exactly are we going?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out." Miley smirks mischeviously and Nick inwardly groans at the immediate throbbing in his pants as a result. "Ready? Charlotte's out for the count and Demi's on surveillance."

Nick gulps, nodding afterwards. _This is it. _Miley smiles at him gently, understanding how difficult this situation must be for him but can't help that thrill rippling inside of her at the prospect of spending some further alone time with this exceptional Adonis of a man.

Demi comes down to bid them farewell and lock the door, not without giving both of them a hug and a subtle wink in Miley's direction as a signal of support. Soon enough, Nick and Miley are out the door and into the wild of the night.

Nick raises his hand to signal the limo driver and Miley's hands wrap around his in refusal. His eyes sharply swivel to hers in alarm, and Miley's face falls a bit at the action but loosens her fingers.

"I figured we could go with something a little different for the night."

Miley twirls the set of keys in her hands and a beep of the car unlocking clears the silence in the air. He follows the notorious sound and his eyes go wide in surprise as he registers their mode of transportation for the evening.

"A mustang?"

"1966 Ford Mustang. It's a classic but I love it and this baby purrs whenever I let it out. "

"It's yours?" Nick exclaims in wonder, he would have never guessed.

"I haven't exactly had the chance to drive it in a while." Miley admits, " But yes. It is. I got this baby for my eighteenth birthday, on my own might I add and it's been my pride and joy ever since."

"I never knew that." Nick responds dazedly, catching the pride and passion laced in her tone of voice as she spoke about the car. He had never considered his wife a car person, she's been a limo kind of woman since the day he met her, nor did he ever think she would have such adequate knowledge about them. He didn't know why but he found it kind of empowering, sexy even.

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Nick Grey." She responds coolly, slyly slipping into the drivers seat before patting the seat next to her. " She doesn't bite, you know?"

He flushes red; having noticed how he might have looked like standing outside the car lost in his own thoughts and wills the embarrassment in his cheeks to fade away as he slips in the seat next to her. He despises how he resorts back to a blushing, 15 year old when it comes to her. He's never made her feel so out of sorts, unsure and nervous before in all the years he has known her and it disconcerts him a little that she suddenly _does. _

They drive in silence, a nice comforting silence though with the radio blasting a tune that they both enjoy and the breeze whipping them against the face making them feel free, liberated. Miley makes small talk with the man opposite her, simply due to the need of hearing his deep, velvety voice and he finds himself compelled to answer, enjoying her company. Around 15 minutes or so they arrive and Nick guffaws, staring at the bold sign hanging on the building Hannah had just parked them in front of.

"Paintball?" Nick asks confusedly. "We're paintballing?"

"Yup! Ever been?"

"I was kind of obsessed with it for a while." Nick admits sheepishly. " My brothers and I used to go all the time. I was 10 though."

"Laugh all you want." Miley says, detecting his teasing tone. "But I love this game. I used to be here all the time with Noah."

"Who's Noah?"

"Just a friend." Miley murmurs quickly. " A really good one. We'd be at it for hours; it drove half the staff insane because we were a loud pair and awfully competitive. Being here with her, it was one of the happiest moments of my life."

"What happened?" Nick asks curiously, having caught the wistful smile on her face and the sadness that crept into her eyes.

"Life happened, and we never set foot back here again."

"I'm sorry." Nick expressed, a hand grasping her shoulder affectionately. Her eyes were watering with tears as she looked around the room, and before long they were distant. Her head was a thousand miles away and he realized instantaneously that she was reliving those pivotal moments with the friend that she had obviously loved. It was clear to him that she missed her with everything she had and he felt a surging amount of compassion for her.

"Don't be. I'm back aren't I?"

"Yes, you are." Nick grins, " Although, I'll have you know I'm not exactly the easiest competitor. I've been known to win a few games or two."

"A few?"

"I might have been the king of paintball at some point. " He answers nonchalantly, although there is a spark in his eye. " There was a reason I was obsessed."

"King of paintball, huh?" Miley quips back, " Game on, Nick. Game on, but just so we're clear you are so not walking out with that title tonight."

Nick smirks, his face so close to hers all she'd literally have to do is tilt her head forward, close the distance and taste what she had so desired to taste since the moment she had laid eyes on him.

"We'll see about that." He rasps, his hot breath tickling her ear.

Miley shivers and Nick smiles widely, stepping back and sauntering towards the changing room. Miley raises a hand to calm her violently pounding heart and does the same.

The employees equip them both with camouflage and equipment and Nick snaps the plastic goggles on his head to his eyes, excitedly stepping out unto the field. Hannah had rented out the entire field just for the two of them to enjoy to the best of their ability and despite what he had ultimately thought when he had agreed to this idea in the first place, he was restless with spirit and was glad that he had agreed. He hadn't thought his wife had an adventurous bone in her body and he was curious to see it in full action.

He laughed as he saw his wife step into the field, head to toe in her equipment and camouflage with two black lines of grease under each eye. The badass appearance suited her well, he thought.

"Told ya I'm competitive."

"It's cute." Nick blurts out, before he has a chance to take it back and she beams.

"I'm sure your opinion will differ by the end of the evening." She replies coyly.

"Don't be so sure." Nick responds, chuckling as a bright pink splotch comes in contact with her leg.

"Cheater!" Miley gasps.

Nick shrugs. " Just getting a head start, that's all."

"I'll show you a head start." Miley growls, just as the lights dim giving Nick the chance to perform a perfect getaway.

Miley adjusted her goggles unto her eyes, hitching her gun securely under her arm, dropping down behind a rusted barrel as she strained her ears for any indication as to where Nick might have disappeared to. She couldn't fight the satisfactory smile that made its way unto her face. It was definitely a risk factor bringing Nick here, she'd fought the idea since it popped into her head, but she wanted this evening to be so incredibly memorable and this place held a lot of memorable moments that practically shaped her childhood, it just felt naturally right that she bring him here and she didn't regret it.

He was getting into it; easing up and it made her feel all warm and tingly inside at the thought of it. He was letting himself have fun, he was playing caution to the wind and letting himself go and she was overjoyed. She wanted every bit of this night to be as memorable for him as it would be for her. She could be gone at any moment of the day, whenever, God forbid, Hannah saw fit; this moment, this date, was all she had and she wanted it to be a great one.

She had a pretty good idea of how Hannah would have conducted this date. Lavish, fancy, romantic dinner, perhaps a little theater involved and she truly did mull over spinning the night in that direction. The selfish part of her resisted though. She couldn't help it, as she had speculated multiple times that day, she would only have this moment once and she would seize it showing Nick her true self in the only way she could.

Although he didn't know it. Nick was on a date with Miley, not the Hannah impersonation and as terrified as she was when she had made this decision to expose a piece of herself to him… something inside of her told her she had made the correct choice.

The sudden crunching of boots roared through the air and Miley's lips twitched to the side in a smile as she targeted her enemy and took aim at his ass. He spun around in surprise, a bright yellow splotch of paint following along after him.

She'd been eyeing it since they left the house and since she very well couldn't smack it, she decided she'd let her gun have some action and do the job for her. Besides, the look on his face had been completely worth it.

"Smooth." He called out, his voice somewhere among the trees as he had darted somewhere the minute he had recovered.

"Looks like it." She shouted flirtatiously, preparing for the war she had just initiated.

They played relentlessly for another hour and a half, one getting a few hits more than the other before the other caught up. Neither one would tolerate admitting defeat.

"Give it up, Hannah."

"Not a chance in hell."

"Aren't you the least bit tired?"

"I could go all day, 'member?"

"Not if you _lose_." Nick says, and Miley hadn't noticed he had been so close until she was pelted with endless splotches of paint causing her to fall into a heap on the floor.

"I guess you win." Miley scowled petulantly and Nick couldn't help but find it the most adorable thing ever, especially with the endless array of different colors of paint covering her from head to toe.

"Your competitiveness is no match for my skills."

Miley rolled her eyes, although a hint of a smile graced her face. " I'm kind of glad you won. I've been aching all over for the last half hour."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Nick asked in amusement.

"I didn't want to back down." Miley responded fiercely, and Nick shakes his head in amazement.

"You're quite possibly the most stubborn woman I've ever met."

"I've heard that one before." Miley murmurs, making Nick laugh genuinely as he helps her up. "I'm a sight for sore eyes, aren't I? Slathered in all this paint…"

"I've never seen you look more beautiful." Nick confesses, looking squarely into her eyes.

Miley's breath catches in her throat.

/

Nick has mixed emotions as the night ends. Honestly, he hadn't expected this night to go over so well, so pleasantly, as it had. They'd stopped by a little diner in the corner that he'd witnessed Hannah get all excited about as she took in the roller skating waitresses, thick milkshakes and amazing chicken burgers (food of the _gods, _she had proclaimed much to his surprise) before settling for a drive in movie like something out of the 1960's.

It was exhilarating being with her. She was playful with just the right amount of coy; however there was still that mesmerizing bit of innocence about her that shone through her personality. She had been easy to talk to, mellow, and funny, and he found himself admiring her fiery wit and quirky personality, and her ability to be serious when the situation called for it.

He had also discovered many different things about her that he hadn't noticed before. Like how her nose twitches a little when she talks, and how her laugh lights up her eyes and just little tidbits in general that he had never remembered escaping her perfect lips.

The night had been a whirlwind of surprises for him and he loved every bit of it to the point where he found himself oddly craving for the night not to end, feeling a burning desire to start the day all over and do it again.

"This is me." Miley says softly, placing a strand of her hair behind her ear as her head lifts to face him.

"I… I enjoyed myself tonight." Nick tells her shyly and Miley grins.

"So did I. "

"See you tomorrow?"

Miley nods, biting her lip as a sunken expression takes over her face. "Of course. Goodnight, Nick."

Her hands are on the knob of her door when she is halted by the sound of his voice.

"Wait."

Her brows are furrowed, momentarily gazing at the hand tightly holding on to her wrist before raising her eyes to meet his.

"Nick?"

She almost gasps at the look on his face. His eyes are intense and wild as he looks at her and before she knows it, he's drawing her into him, pulling her flush against his body as one hand wraps around her waist.

"Nick.." She breathes, and her chest is panting against his and that does it. Suddenly his lips are on hers and both moan at the sensation, never having thought this moment could ever take place.

His hands thrusts into her hair and she grabs a fistful of his shirt, physically needing him to be closer. His tongue is begging for entrance and she is all too eager to grant him access, moaning loudly as their tongues collide together, fighting for dominance and performing a sweet, harmonious melody.

Her back collides with the wall viciously and the sound of an item shattering unto the floor rings loudly throughout the room yet both are too wired to care, too consumed by this lust-filled haze to care.

He pulls back to give them both some air, much to both of their disappointment, before all too quickly grabbing the base of her head, meeting her lips with his own once again. He couldn't get enough of her taste, it was so addictive, tempting. She tasted like pure heaven and he honestly couldn't remember her tasting so divine before. He felt like he could kiss her forever if he could.

Her hands are shaking as she feverishly works on unbuttoning his shirt and she pauses for a bit, lurching her head backwards in pure ecstasy as his flaming lips move from her lips, across her jawline and to the seam of her breasts.

She grinds against him furiously and they cry out together at the feel of his thick bulge pressed against her center.

"Stay with me." Nick suggests, his eyes drooping with desire and voice thick with attraction, rapture. She didn't think she could deny him even if she wanted to.

Her legs wrap around him instead and he lets out a breath of relief, their lips meeting yet again as he maneuvers his way towards his room, both not willing to let go of each other, not even for a second.

He stumbles into his room, and kicks the door shut with his leg as he drops her unto his bed and as they frenzily discard of their clothes, and their bodies meet each other for the first time, him pounding into her furiously, their bodies slick with sweat as they cry out together in fruition, his eyes meet hers and it's then that Miley gets that fulfilling sensation of wholeness, completion, that utter bliss few can ever really experience, that she had _never _thought she would have the opportunity of experiencing.

"I love you." Miley whispers into the curve of his neck in the dead of the night, the sound of his even breathing indicating that he hadn't a word of what she had just professed.

* * *

**AN- **Oh wow! I bet you guys had not expected _that! _To be honest, I hadn't exactly expected that either, I hadn't intended to take the story in this direction but my muse just chose to and I couldn't deny her. I couldn't even place the future snippet like I had intended to! Hope you guys liked it. Tell me your thoughts, I would love to read them!


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